Getty Koji Suzuki has sadly passed away. The legendary Japanese horror writer, best known for penning the Ring book franchise that led to over a dozen films, died at the age of 68 in Tokyo, Japan. Japanese newspaper Asahi reports that the author died at a hospital on May 8. A cause of death was not yet made public. The author's Ring series, which spawned the iconic character of Sadako (or Samara in the U.S. remakes), led to the 1998 classic Ringu, as well as the 2002 American remake starring Naomi Watts.