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 stacking, 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.
Simon has recently had his Doctor Who novella The Dalek Factor released by Telos Publishing.
Questions and Answers
Which Doctor Who did you write about in The Dalek Factor and what made you choose him?
Ah ha! Something for readers to investigate for themselves! I'm being deliberately mysterious for a reason and don't want to reveal any spoilers.
If you were to write a Doctor Who novel about the next Doctor Who, who would you like it to be? (question asked prior to the announcement of Christopher Eccleston)
The only Doctor Who I've ever seen in the flesh is William Hartnell many years ago at the Finningley airshow. I was a wee nipper then but a huge Who fan. So I'd probably aim to write a story that featured 'Billy.'
How did you find writing in someone else universe (Doctor Who or John Wyndham's)?
A little unusual. Usually I invent my own universes, so to adopt someone else's means that you're having to accept their rules to a certain extent. But there's always some leeway. For example in The Night of the Triffids the story starts twenty-five years after the end of the original book when survivors have fled to the Isle of Wight. So I could imagine that there had been some developments in society but the popular culture preserved in records and films would have been frozen like a fly in amber.
With Doctor Who that universe covers a huge canvas so there is more freedom to invent.
Are you a Doctor Who fan and how did that affect you when writing this book?
A big fan. I was there at the very first episode and rarely missed one. And that's some achievement as most episodes were never repeated and screened in the pre-video era. To write a Doctor Who story when you're a fan is like a Man U fan being called from the crowd to play for the team. It's a fabulous honour but you're also scared you're going to cock it up. So at first it was inhibiting, very inhibiting. But once I got into it the story flew out on its own accord.
With Doctor Who about to restart as a TV series, what would you hope the TV exec's do and don't do with this franchise?
Indeed, nervous times as well as exhilarating times. Fans are just praying that they don't make a mess of it. But it does look to be in good hands. If anything, I just hope they don't make it too much of a comedy and jam in 'witty' one-liners every twenty seconds. Doctor Who could be dark and grim at times.
Who/what are you favourite Doctor Who "baddies"?
Daleks, naturally. But then I thought the yeti could be unnerving. And of course, who could forget The Master?
Having written a Doctor Who story are there any other shared universes you would like to write for?
It would probably have to be for my own enjoyment but I'd like to write a story for Terry Nation's Survivors. And I'd find it hard to resist writing a story for Garth Marenghi's Dark Place! Also, last year I wrote a period piece with Tim Lebbon called 'Exorcising Angels', which to a certain extent inhabits the universe of Arthur Machen and his story 'The Bowmen', which created national hysteria during the First World War when millions believed that angels had saved the British army from being wiped out in the trenches.
Who do you think will be the audience for the new Doctor Who series - will it be the thirty/forty-somethings who used to cower behind sofas in the 1960's & 1970's, or will Doctor Who find a new audience?
Can I be greedy and hope it appeals to both? I think initially the audience will be the Doctor Who fan. With luck it will go on to captivate a whole new generation.
How much of a challenge was it writing the sequel to Day of the Triffids?
I'd ached to write it for so long I think I had the entire story in my subconscious. So when I started on page one I couldn't stop. I'd spent a heck of a lot of time getting in character by reading Wyndham and listening to Wyndham audio books when I took the dog for a walk.
Before I did begin writing I had the same kind of anxieties I had with Doctor Who. Here I am working with legendary figures, even though they are fictional. Again, it was a labour of love and I'm proud of it and thank my lucky stars I was given the opportunity to write both a Triffids story, and Doctor Who AND the Daleks novella.
What are you currently working on?
I'm writing some short stories at the moment and correcting proofs for In This Skin, which will be published in the States this year by Leisure and in hardback in the UK by Robert Hale.
Is there a book or story you wish you had written?
Probably just about everything by John Wyndham, William Golding's Pincher Martin, and for TV Stephen Volk's Ghostwatch and Russell T. Davies's Second Coming.
Is writing your full time occupation, if not what is?
Writing's the day job!
What was your first professional sale? How did it feel when you received the acceptance?
One of the first was a short story sale to BBC Radio Leeds. I was paid £15 for it and must have spent several times that celebrating. After a long haul learning how to write and submitting story after story and receiving heaps of rejections it was such a good feeling.
The first story to appear in print in a professionally published book was 'Beside The Seaside, Beside The Sea'. It appeared in Chris Reed's BBR magazine and then was picked up by Karl Edward Wagner for The Year's Best Horror. Coincidentally both involved the ocean. And my first novel Nailed by the Heart involved the ocean, too. Maybe there's a thread emerging here.
Who is you favourite author?
Classic authors would have to include Arthur Machen, William Hope Hodgson, Shirley Jackson, John Wyndham (naturally), Dylan Thomas. More recent writers: Stephen King (especially his earlier work), Stephen Baxter, Joel Lane.
Are you a music fan? If so, what?
Initially I was drawn to music with a sci-fi feel so I was listening to Pink Floyd, Hawkwind and electronic music, including Tangerine Dream. I'm also a total Hendrix fan. Later stuff, I like The Coral, Pulp, REM, Bill Nelson.
Is there anything else that can be done with Alien Invasion, Time Travel or Robots?
I'm sure there is. Fiction writers are eternally inventive. Just when you think Time Travel's been done to death someone will give it a fresh spin.
Is there anything more that can be done with vampires, demons and zombies?
God, I hope so. That's my day job. Those kind of monsters pay my mortgage and put food on the table -- not literally you understand.
Given the high quality of horror fiction available, why do you think there are so few great horror movies?
With horror fiction you can afford to fail when you write a bad story. If a producer makes a bad movie they're out on their ear. So there's a tendency for them to play as safe as possible so jam in a love story, comic interludes, a kitchen sink or two in the hope of mass-appeal. That's a bit sweeping really as there have been some terrific horror movies, but generally there's a tendency for bland-out.
Short story, single novel or novel series - which do you think is the best medium for horror or science fiction?
Probably short story is the perfect form as shown by H.P. Lovecraft, Shirley Jackson and the early Stephen King. But personally I find novels more satisfying to write. I like to think page one is the start of a long journey. A kind of quest that takes both reader and writer into a dark, dark landscape. Hey, that didn't sound too much like Garth Marenghi, did it?
Why do you think SF gets a bad press?
I wouldn't claim to have such a full knowledge of SF to reply.
Do you enjoy book signings/conventions?
It's great to talk shop and meet people who've read my books or simply love the same kind of stories I love.
What is the scariest story you have read?
Stephen King's 'The Monkey' still does it for me. A dark tale powerfully told. There are others I could add to my list, too, such as Algernion Blackwood's 'The Willows'. And then there's TV. Doctor Who; it scared me thoroughly at times.
Have you won any awards for your writing?
I won some local competitions for short stories. I've also won British Fantasy Awards for a novella, 'Goblin City Lights' and The Night of the Triffids. I'm immensely proud of them and they flank my television in the living room.
Plug away - what do you have coming out?
Vampyrrhic Rites, a sequel to Vampyrrhic came out late last year and next up is In this Skin. And did anyone mention The Dalek Factor?
Many Thanks, Simon!
Thanks for having me!
Relevant LinksSimon Clark Main Bibliography
Simon Clark's Website
Telos Publishing Website