Author John Fowles dead at 79

LYME REGIS, England, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- British author John Fowles, best known for "The French Lieutenant's Woman." has died in Lyme Regis at age 79.

Fowles died Saturday after a long illness, his publisher told the BBC. He suffered a stroke in 1988 and also had heart problems.

Fowles' more than 40-year career included "The Magus" and "The Collector," but his 1969 "The French Lieutenant's Woman" became his best known work after it was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons.

He is survived by his second wife, Sarah.