Richard Michael (Rick) Shelley died early Saturday morning of liver and kidney complications following a heart attack two weeks earlier.

Shelley suffered a massive heart attack while attending Chattacon on January 13. He was rushed to Erlanger Hospital near downtown Chattanooga and had a bypass and was moved to Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, where he was waiting for an opportunity for a heart transplant.

His first piece of short fiction appeared in the January 1985 issue of Analog, and his first novel, Son of the Hero, was published by ROC Books in the summer of 1990. He published 17 science fiction and fantasy novels. He was an Active Member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America.

The family will be receiving friends from 6-8 PM Monday January 29th at Miller Funeral Home, 915 W. Broadway, Maryville, Tennessee (865-982-6041) The funeral will be Tuesday at 1:00 PM at the Sherwood Memorial Gardens on Alcoa Highway in Marysville.

Cards may be sent to his mother, Hazel Shelley at 153 Old Clover Hill Road, Marysville, TN 37803.

Posted January-28-2001