The American writer and humorist has died of lung cancer aged 74. He wrote for National Lampoon, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Atlantic Monthly magazines. His first book was Republican Party Reptile (1987) . He is perhaps best remembered for Holidays in Hell (1988). His writing ranged from social satire to politics and reporting from war zones. The Atlantic Monthly editor Morgan Entrekin called him “one of the major voices of his generation”.