Famed Chinese martial arts novelist Jin Yong has died at the age of 94 after a long illness, Hong Kong media reported on Tuesday (Oct 30).

He was one of the best-selling Chinese authors, with more than 300 million copies of his works sold worldwide.

His novels also inspired producers of television series, movies and even video games.

Here are three of his most well-known works:

1. The Deer And The Cauldron (1969 to 1972)

Jin Yong's last novel and savage comic masterpiece subverts most of his preceding martial arts fantasies.

Its anti-hero, Wei Xiaobao, lives in a realistic, chaotic Qing China, where he stumbles into alliances with various groups - anti-Qing rebels, the Qing court, a cult - but does not buy into any of the causes.

He is genuinely close to the Kangxi emperor, however, and theirs is a bromance for the ages.

2. Demi-Gods And Semi-Devils (1963 to 1966)

A great saga that has just about everything: a trio of heroes including a lovesick monk with a birth secret; a far-reaching, blood-soaked conspiracy; a tragic romance and, out of nowhere, a lovely chapter overflowing with horticulture, poetry and the sweet pain of infatuation.

3. Legend Of The Condor Heroes (1957 to 1959)

Possibly the most loved of Jin Yong's novels.

It is a classic you should read - or pretend to have read - so you can voice educated opinions about, say, the intelligence gap between the simple hero, Guo Jing, and his sophisticated love, Huang Rong; the murder mystery on Peach Blossom Island; or which of the Five Greats of the pugilistic world is the greatest.