Simon Clark
Mini-Bio
Born, 20th April, 1958, Simon Clark is the author of such highly regarded horror novels as Nailed by the Heart, Blood Crazy, Darker, Vampyrrhic and The Fall, while his short stories have been collected in Blood & Grit and Salt Snake & Other Bloody Cuts. He has also written prose material for the internationally famous rock band U2.
Raised in a family of storytellers – family legend told of a stolen human skull buried beneath the Clark garage – he sold his first ghost story to a radio station in his teens. Before becoming a full-time writer he held a variety of day jobs that have involved strawberry picking, supermarket shelf stocking, office work, and scripting video promos.
He lives with his wife and two children in mystical territory that lies on the border of Robin Hood country in England.
Are there any secret novels hidden away in your attic that may or may not see the light of day?
In my teens I wrote a horror novel called HOBSCROSS. That definitely will never see the light of day! But it was personally satisfying to complete it and finally in the early hours of one summer’s morning type 'The End'. Even though the novel will never be published it did prove to me I had the tenacity to write 80,000 words.
What authors do you like to read?
My all-time favourites are Arthur Machen and William Hope Hodgson; they have that extra ingredient that transports their work to some other realm. Also, I'd include Dylan Thomas, John Wyndham, Paul Finch, Mark Samuels, Shirley Jackson, Paul Kane, Gary McMahon, Stan Barstow, Stephen King; the list goes on. And on. Being a writer means that I read a lot of authors to analyse their technique, which can distract me from the story. Lately, I've been studying the likes of HP Lovecraft and Joseph Conrad. Often it's worth reading and re-reading a few paragraphs of a story and unravelling the mechanics of it all.
What is your favourite book?
Paul Ferris's biography of Dylan Thomas. I can read that book every year and still be fascinated and moved by it.
What is your real guilty secret favourite book?
Leo Walmsley's PARADISE CREEK. It's an autobiography about a man living in a hut up a Cornish creek where he tinkers with engines and spends a lot of time fishing. I don't like tinkering with engines or fishing but the book is strangely soothing. I take it with me to read in airports.
What can we see from your in the future?
I'm currently finishing one novel: GHOSTMONSTER, and then I'm just about to start WHITBY VAMPYRRHIC. My Vampyrrhic series features vampire-like creatures from Viking mythology -- the readers' response to the series has been amazing. People have even asked for story locations so they can visit them.
What is THE MIDNIGHT MAN about in no more than 30 words?
Part fact, part fiction it features Vincent Van Gogh, murder, madness and ghosts. THE MIDNIGHT MAN blog can be found here. There's also a short film, too.
What's the strangest fan request or gift you have had?
Nothing weird or troubling. I sometimes get asked for signed photographs, which is flattering as it is surprising.
What is your daily writing routine, if you have one?
I keep office hours, working from around nine until five. Sometimes work creeps into weekends, too.
What advice would you give the great unpublished out there, who wish to follow in your exalted footsteps?
Exalted? Thank you for the compliment. The key to becoming a published author is persistence. Keep writing, just keep writing. Also pick a favourite story and study the mechanics of it. Ask yourself how it works, and what passages hook your attention.
How excited are you to be on a Doctor Who DVD extra?
Enormously. I've been a fan ever since I was knee-high to a Dalek.
Which of your books would make the best film?
THE MIDNIGHT MAN was a real labour of love -- Van Gogh was an amazing artist and utter visionary. If that was produced I'd sit there at the back of the cinema with a tear in my eye.
I and a few others think the horror novel is about to have its 2nd, 3rd or 666th coming, what are your thoughts?
Everyone has a theory about a renewal in horror -- the economy, terrorism, climate; but there does seem to be a new interest in horror in everything from TV to books to computer games. All, I can say is, yes, horror is popular again. So, to all horror fans out there I'd suggest we dive in and enjoy!
Want more great interviews / book reviews? Visit www.thenovelblog.com
~Peter Mark May~
© Copyright, 2010 Main Street Magazine/Rain Enterprises
As seen in the June Issue of Main Street Magazine.
Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises
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