Clute's first professional publication was a long science-fiction poem called "Carcajou Lament." It appeared in "TriQuarterly" in 1959. His first short story was "A Man Must Die" in "New Worlds" in 1966. In 1960, he was Associate Editor of "Collage", a magazine in Chicago which had only two issues. It published early work by Harlan Ellison and R. A. Lafferty. In 1977, Clute published his first novel, "The Disinheriting Party." Clute's second novel, "Appleseed" (2001).