An early practitioner of "new journalism", some of his better known books are 'The Right Stuff', which was made into a movie, 'The Bonfire of the Vanities', which was also made into a movie with Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis, and 'The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test'.
“He was an incredible writer. And you couldn’t imitate him. When people tried it was a disaster. They should have gotten a job at a butcher’s shop," said Gay Talese.
While Michael Lewis said: “What I hope people know about him is that he was a sweet and generous man. Not just a great writer but a great soul. He didn’t just help me to become a writer. He did it with pleasure.”

Tom Wolfe was an amazing journalist and author. Thank you for showing us all what it took to have “The Right Stuff”. pic.twitter.com/ObMeU4S92S

— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) May 16, 2018

RIP the peerless Tom Wolfe. How I shall miss that swirling script on the handwritten notes, the flair of your white suit entering a room! Wish we could have read you on the Met Ball. You were the best of the best

— Tina Brown (@TinaBrownLM) May 15, 2018

Tom Wolfe has died. His work changed my life and convinced me to write nonfiction. Fare thee well, Tom.

— Susan Orlean (@susanorlean) May 15, 2018

Yale rejected Tom Wolfe's doctoral thesis because it sounded too much like him. "These stupid fucks," he called them. https://t.co/oPcD82FB3D

— Justin Miller (@justinjm1) May 15, 2018

Saddened to hear of Tom Wolfe’s passing. He changed my life, and I am grateful I was able to thank him for the wildly unrealistic dream he gave me as an 18 year old boy. He was the #RightStuff. Your friendship is missed already. #RIPTomWolfe pic.twitter.com/ehUOXq4CZZ

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) May 15, 2018

The thing that sometimes got lost with Tom Wolfe, with his white suits and florid style--that gift for the inimitable phrase--was the strength of his reporting. He did the work of endless hanging around and careful noticing. RIP to one of the greats.

— tad friend (@tadfriend) May 15, 2018