Neil Clarke (editor)
Neil Clarke is an American editor and publisher, best known as the founder and editor-in-chief of Clarkesworld Magazine.
In 2006, Clarke launched Clarkesworld Magazine as a companion to his online bookstore Clarkesworld Books. He serves as the editor-in-chief of the digital publication. Fiction published in Clarkesworld has been nominated for or won the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Sturgeon, Locus, Ditmar, Aurealis, Shirley Jackson, WSFA Small Press and Stoker Awards. Clarkesworld has been a finalist for the Hugo Award in the Best Semiprozine category four times winning in 2010, 2011 and 2013. Clarke has been a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Editor: Short Form in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. He received the Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award from Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in May 2019 and won the Locus Award for Best Editor in 2024.
When Clarke closed his bookstore in 2007, he launched Wyrm Publishing, which has since published books by Gene Wolfe, Charles Stross, Catherynne M. Valente and others. Clarkesworld Magazine is currently published by Wyrm in online, digital, audio and print editions. He launched Forever Magazine in 2015 and became the editor of The SFWA Bulletin in early 2016. He edits The Best Science Fiction of the Year series for Night Shade Books. He is also the ebook designer for Cheeky Frawg Books, Prime Books, Wyrm Publishing and several magazines.
As of 2022, Clarke and his family reside in New Jersey.
Health
In 2012, Clarke suffered a severe heart attack while attending Readercon, and had a defibrillator implanted. He has credited this event with having led him to become a full-time editor.Magazines (edited)
Clarkesworld Magazine, 2006 - , 2015 -The SFWA Bulletin, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, 2016 - 2019Berlin Quarterly Issue 4, special guest fiction editorInternazionale, Issue 1338, December 2019Anthologies (edited)
Clarkesworld: Year Three,, Wyrm Publishing, 2013Clarkesworld: Year Four,, Wyrm Publishing, 2013Clarkesworld: Year Five,, Wyrm Publishing, 2013Clarkesworld: Year Six,, Wyrm Publishing, 2014Clarkesworld: Year Seven,, Wyrm Publishing, 2015Clarkesworld: Year Eight,, Wyrm Publishing, 2016The Best Science Fiction of the Year Volume 1, Night Shade Books, 2016Galactic Empires, Night Shade Books, 2017Touchable Unreality, China Machine Press, 2017The Best Science Fiction of the Year Volume 2, Night Shade Books, 2017More Human Than Human, Night Shade Books, 2017The Best Science Fiction of the Year Volume 3, Night Shade Books, 2018Clarkesworld: Year Nine, Volume One,, Wyrm Publishing, 2018Clarkesworld: Year Nine, Volume Two,, Wyrm Publishing, 2018The Final Frontier, Night Shade Books, 2018Not One of Us, Night Shade Books, 2018The Eagle has Landed, Night Shade Books, 2019The Best Science Fiction of the Year Volume 4, Night Shade Books, 2019Clarkesworld: Year Ten, Volume One,, Wyrm Publishing, 2019Clarkesworld: Year Ten, Volume Two,, Wyrm Publishing, 2019Clarkesworld: Year Eleven, Volume One,, Wyrm Publishing, 2019Clarkesworld: Year Eleven, Volume Two,, Wyrm Publishing, 2019The Best Science Fiction of the Year Volume 5, Night Shade Books, 2020Clarkesworld: Year Twelve, Volume One,, Wyrm Publishing, 2021Clarkesworld: Year Twelve, Volume Two,, Wyrm Publishing, 2021The Best Science Fiction of the Year Volume 6, Night Shade Books, 2022New Voices in Chinese Science Fiction,, Clarkesworld Books, 2022The Best Science Fiction of the Year Volume 7, Night Shade Books, 2023The Best Science Fiction of the Year Volume 8, Night Shade Books, 2024Clarkesworld: Year Thirteen, Volume One,, Wyrm Publishing, 2024Clarkesworld: Year Thirteen, Volume Two,, Wyrm Publishing, 2024Critical studies and reviews of Clarke's work
;Upgraded*
Awards
- Nominee, World Fantasy Special Award: Non-Professional, 2009, 2010, 2012
- Winner, World Fantasy Special Award: Non-Professional, 2014
- Finalist, Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine, 2009
- Winner, Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine, 2010, 2011, 2013
- Finalist, Hugo Award for Best Editor Short Form, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
- Winner, Hugo Award for Best Editor Short Form, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
- Winner, Locus Award for Best Editor, 2024, 2025
- Nominee, Chesley Award for Best Art Director, 2017, 2021
- Winner, Chesley Award for Best Art Director, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023
- Recipient, The Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award, 2019