Will Clarke (novelist)
A Southern novelist who turned self-publishing into an underground art form, crafting quirky spiritual thrillers that found a cult following.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American novelist·Birthday: August 13·Generation X
Biography
Will Clarke hand-sold his first novels through independent bookstores in the early 2000s, bypassing traditional publishers. His debut, 'Lord Vishnu's Love Handles,' blended spy fiction with metaphysical whimsy, setting a pattern of genre-bending and spiritual curiosity. Simon & Schuster repackaged his work after Clarke proved a dedicated readership could outperform a big advance. Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1970, Clarke writes narratives set against a Louisiana backdrop, exploring collisions between the mundane and the mystical. His voice is humid and peculiar, like his home state.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Will was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Will Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Will's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His self-published debut novel, 'Lord Vishnu's Love Handles,' became an underground hit and was later reissued by major publisher Simon & Schuster.
- Built an initial audience by distributing his early work through influential independent bookstores like Book Soup in Los Angeles and BookPeople in Austin.
- Authored the novel 'The Worthy: A Ghost's Story,' blending Southern Gothic elements with supernatural thriller conventions.
- Wrote 'Marigold: The Secret to Manifestation,' continuing his exploration of spiritual themes within accessible fiction.
Did You Know?
He is a native of Shreveport, Louisiana, and his Southern roots often influence his storytelling.
He initially self-published his first two books via the internet before securing a traditional publishing deal.
The movie rights to at least one of his books have been sold for potential film adaptation.
“I write about the weird, dark corners of Southern life.”
