Gary Paulsen, the "Hatchet" author, has died. He was 82.

Multiple news outlets confirmed the tragic passing of Paulsen this week. Literary agent Jennifer Flannery also shared the news to The Associated Press, detailing that the renowned author has died at his home in New Mexico.

Random House Children's Books did not provide further details. However, it revealed that the author died "suddenly" on Wednesday.

His third wife, Ruth Wright Paulsen, has not released a statement yet. The matriarch helped Paulsen in his career by illustrating some of his works.

Following his death, fans and readers shared their heartfelt messages to the person who completed their childhood.

One fan said, "RIP Gary Paulsen, you made me believe i could survive alone in the woods as a child even though i certainly could not."


"I know many mushers-myself included-who first fell in love with mushing through Gary Paulsen's stories about his sled dogs. He changed lives in big ways; he wrote about wilderness, animals, fear, wonder with extraordinary grace. An incredible writer. May he rest in peace," author Blair Braverman wrote.

Gary Paulsen's Legacy

Before his death, Paulsen managed to write more than 100 books and sold over 35 million copies worldwide. He was a three-time finalist for the John Newbery Medal for the year's best children's book. He also scored the American Library Association's Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in 1997.

His decades-long career was rooted in Minnesota, where he was born. Before gracing his first book, he spent months - or maybe years - sailing on the Pacific Ocean, hiking in New Mexico, and participating in the Alaskan dogsled race.

When he finally lived in a cabin in his home state, he finished his first-ever novel, "The Special War. In one of his last interviews with The New York Times, he revealed he could not live in towns anymore.

Among his books include "The Winter Room," "Dogsong," and "Hatchet" - the latter brought him to the spotlight.

After the first book in 1986, fans became curious about the 13-year-old character who survives a plane crash. For Paulsen, that story came from the darkest part of his childhood.

The "Hatchet" series continued to take over the spotlight as he received installments through books and TV series.