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David Drake (born September 24, 1945) is a successful author of science fiction and fantasy literature. A Vietnam War veteran who has worked as a lawyer, he is now one of the premier authors of the military science fiction subgenre.

Drake graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Iowa, majoring in history (with honors) and Latin. His studies at Duke University Law school were interrupted for two years by the U.S. Army, where he served as an enlisted interrogator with the 11th Armored Cavalry in Vietnam and Cambodia. He now lives in North Carolina. His best-known non-collaborative work is the Hammer's Slammers series of military science fiction. His newer Republic of Cinnabar Navy (RCN) series, space operas inspired by the Aubrey–Maturin novels, focus much more heavily on his characters and less on the military aspects.

In 1997 Drake began his largest fantasy series, Lord of the Isles, using elements of Sumerian religion and medieval era technology. As of 2005, the series has 6 books published, with a seventh expected in 2006.

In addition to his own works, he often provides a military perspective to many collaborative writing projects, such as his contributions to the Heroes in Hell series. His co-authors include Karl Edward Wagner, Janet Morris, S.M. Stirling, and Eric Flint. With Wagner and Jim Groce, he was one of the founders of Carcosa Press.

Drake frequently works in collaboration with other authors by providing detailed plot outlines (5,000 to 15,000 words), after which they do "the real work of developing the outline into a novel". He doesn't "consider involvement to be that of a real co-author".[http://david-drake.com/bibliography.html

Drake's plots often draw heavily on his extensive knowledge of history, literature and mythology. Starting with Northworld in 1990*, he has generally explained the background to each book in an afterword or preface.

Some of Drake's works are available in the Baen Free Library.

Partial Bibliography

A complete bibliography, with Drake's comments, is available at http://david-drake.com/bibliography.html.

Anthologies edited

  • Armageddon (1986) (with Billie Sue Mosiman)
  • A Century of Horror 1970-1979: The Greatest Stories of the Decade (1987) (with Martin H. Greenberg)
  • Space Gladiators (1989)
  • A Separate Star: A Science Fiction Tribute to Rudyard Kipling (1989) (with Sandra Miesel)
  • Heads to the Storm (1989) (with Sandra Miesel)
  • Space Infantry (1989) (with Martin H. Greenberg)
  • The Eternal City (1989)
  • Space Dreadnoughts (1990) (with Martin H. Greenberg and Charles G. Waugh)
  • Dogs of War (2001)
  • Foreign Legions (2001) (with Eric Flint and David Weber)
  • The World Turned Upside Down (2005) (with James Baen and Eric Flint)

Battlestation
With Bill Fawcett
  • Battlestation (1992)
  • The Vanguard (1993)

Fleet
With Bill Fawcett
  • The Fleet (1988)
  • Counterattack (1988)
  • Breakthrough (1989)
  • Sworn Allies (1990)
  • Total War (1990)
  • Crisis (1991)

War and Honor
With Gordon R. Dickson, Christopher Stasheff and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro)
  • Blood and War (1993)

ARC Riders

With Janet Morris
  • ARC Riders (1995)
  • The Fourth Rome (1996)

Belisarius series

Written by Eric Flint. David contributed to the outlines only, but is listed as a co-author from the publisher.
  • An Oblique Approach (1998)
  • In the Heart of Darkness (1998)
  • Destiny's Shield (1999)
  • Fortune's Stroke (2000)
  • The Tide of Victory (2001)
  • The Dance of Time (2006)

Car Warriors

  • The Square Deal (1992)

Collections

  • Time Safari (1982)
  • From the Heart of Darkness (1983)
  • The Military Dimension (1991)
  • The Military Dimension Mark II (1995)
  • The Warmasters (2002) (with Eric Flint and David Weber)
  • Grimmer Than Hell (2003)
  • Mountain Magic (2004) (with Eric Flint, Henry Kuttner and Ryk E. Spoor)

Crisis of Empire

Crown of the Isles

  • The Fortress of Glass (2006)

The General series

Written by S.M. Stirling. David contributed to the outlines only, but is listed as a co-author from the publisher.
  • The Forge (1991)
  • The Hammer (1992)
  • The Anvil (1993)
  • The Steel (1993)
  • The Sword (1995)
  • The Chosen (1996)
  • The Reformer (1999)
  • The Tyrant (2002) (written by Eric Flint)

Hammer's Slammers

  • Hammer's Slammers (1979)
  • Cross the Stars (1984)
  • At Any Price (1985)
  • Counting the Cost (1987)
  • Rolling Hot (1989)
  • The Warrior (1991)
  • The Sharp End (1993)
  • The Voyage (1993)
  • Paying the Piper (2002)
  • The Complete Hammer's Slammers Volume 1 (2005) Includes all the short stories.
  • The Complete Hammer's Slammers Volume 2 (November 2006) Omnibus includes At Any Price, Counting the Cost, Rolling Hot, The Warrior

Heroes in Hell

  • Explorers in Hell (1989) (with Janet Morris)

Honor Harrington

With Eric Flint
  • Changer of Worlds (2001)

Lord of the Isles

  • Lord of the Isles (1997)
  • Queen of Demons (1998)
  • Servant of the Dragon (1999)
  • Mistress of the Catacombs (2001)
  • Goddess of the Ice Realm (2003)
  • Master of the Cauldron (2004)

Northworld

  • Northworld (1990)
  • Vengeance (1991)
  • Justice (1992)
  • Northworld Trilogy (1999) (omnibus)

Non-series Novels

  • The Dragon Lord (1979)
  • Skyripper (1983)
  • The Forlorn Hope (1984)
  • Birds of Prey (1984)
  • Killer (with Karl Edward Wagner) (1985)
  • Active Measures (1985) (with Janet Morris)
  • Strangers and Lovers (1985)
  • Ranks of Bronze (1986)
  • Fortress (1986)
  • Bridgehead (1986)
  • The Tank Lords (1986)
  • Lacey and His Friends (1986)
  • Kill Ratio (1987) (with Janet Morris)
  • Vettius and His Friends (1989)
  • Target (1989) (with Janet Morris)
  • Surface Action (1990)
  • The Undesired Princess and the Enchanted Bunny (1990) (with L. Sprague de Camp)
  • The Hunter Returns (1991) (with Jim Kjelgaard)
  • The Jungle (1991)
  • Old Nathan (1991)
  • Starliner (1992)
  • Tyrannosaur (1994)
  • Enemy of My Enemy (1995) (with Ben Ohlander)
  • Redliners (1996)
  • Patriots (1996)
  • All the Way to the Gallows (1996)
  • Caught in the Crossfire (1998)
  • The Butcher's Bill (1998)
  • Seas of Venus (2000)
  • Other Times Than Peace (2006)
  • Some Golden Harbor (2006)

Reaches

  • Igniting the Reaches (1994)
  • Through the Breach (1995)
  • Fireships (1996)
  • The Reaches (2004) (omnibus)

Starhunters

  • Men Hunting Things (1988)
  • Things Hunting Men (1988)
  • Bluebloods (1990)

Thieves' World

  • Dagger (1988)

With the Lightnings

  • With the Lightnings (1998)
  • Lt. Leary, Commanding (2000)
  • The Far Side of The Stars (2003)
  • The Way to Glory (2005)

World of Crystal Walls

  • The Sea Hag (1988)

Short Stories

  • Denkirch
Travellers by Night (1967)

  • Lord of the Depths
Dark Things (1971)

  • Arclight
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (April 1973)

  • Contact!
Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact (October 1974)
Body Armor: 2000 (1986)

  • Under the Hammer
Galaxy Science Fiction (October 1974)
Hammer's Slammers (1979)

  • The Butcher's Bill
Galaxy Science Fiction (November 1974)
Combat SF (1975)
Hammer's Slammers (1979)
Combat SF (1981)
Hammer's Slammers (1987)

  • Something Had to Be Done
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (February 1975)
The Year's Best Horror Stories: Series IV (1976)
From the Heart of Darkness (1983)
100 Vicious Little Vampire Stories (1995)

  • Ranks of Bronze
Galaxy Science Fiction (August 1975)
There Will Be War (1983)
Vettius and His Friends (1989)

  • But Loyal to His Own
Galaxy Science Fiction (October 1975)
Hammer's Slammers (1979)

  • Awakening
Nameless Places (1975)

  • Black Iron
Nameless Places (1975)
Vettius and His Friends (1989)

  • Children of the Forest
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (November 1976)
The Year's Best Horror Stories: Series V (1977)
From the Heart of Darkness (1983)

  • Blood Debt
The 4th Mayflower Book of Black Magic Stories (1976)
From the Heart of Darkness (1983)

  • Firefight
Frights (1976)
From the Heart of Darkness (1983)

  • The Hunting Ground
Superhorror (1976)
From the Heart of Darkness (1983)

  • Nation Without Walls
Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact (July 1977)

  • The Last Battalion
Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact (September 1977)

  • The Barrow Troll
Savage Heroes (1977)
Whispers (1977)
The World Fantasy Awards Volume Two (1980)
From the Heart of Darkness (1983)
Vettius and His Friends (1989)

  • Dragons' Teeth
Swords Against Darkness (1977)
Dragon Tales (1982)
From the Heart of Darkness (1983)
Vettius and His Friends (1989)

  • The Shortest Way
First World Fantasy Awards (1977)
From the Heart of Darkness (1983)
Vettius and His Friends (1989)

  • Smokie Joe
More Devil's Kisses (1977)
Terrors (1982)
From the Heart of Darkness (1983)

  • Nemesis Place
Fantastic (April 1978)
The Year's Best Horror Stories: Series VII (1979)
Vettius and His Friends (1989)

  • Best of Luck
The Year's Best Horror Stories: Series VI (1978)
From the Heart of Darkness (1983)

  • Caught in the Crossfire
Chrysalis 2 (1978)
Hammer's Slammers (1979)
Caught in the Crossfire (1998)

  • The Mantichore
Swords Against Darkness III (1978)
Vettius and His Friends (1989)

  • Cultural Conflict
Destinies (January/February 1979)
Hammer's Slammers (1979)

  • The Predators
Destinies (October/December 1979)

  • Hangman
Hammer's Slammers (1979)
Supertanks (1987)

  • The Red Leer
Whispers II (1979)
From the Heart of Darkness (1983)

  • Standing Down
Hammer's Slammers (1979)

  • Underground
Destinies (February/March 1980)

  • Men Like Us
Omni (May 1980)
From the Heart of Darkness (1983)

  • The Automatic Rifleman
Destinies (Fall 1980)
From the Heart of Darkness (1983)

  • Goddess
Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn (1980)
Sanctuary (1982)

  • Than Curse the Darkness
New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos (1980)
From the Heart of Darkness (1983)

  • Time Safari
Destinies (Spring 1981)
Tyrannosaur (1993)

  • Travellers
Destinies (Winter 1981)

  • King Crocodile
Whispers III (1981)
Vettius and His Friends (1989)

  • The Dancer in the Flames
From the Heart of Darkness (1983)
Whispers IV (1983)

  • Votary
The Face of Chaos (1983)

  • Out of Africa
From the Heart of Darkness (1983)
Horrorstory: Volume 4 (1990)

  • Code-name Feirefitz
Men of War (1984)

  • From the Dark Waters
Isaac Asimov's Magical Worlds of Fantasy 5: Giants (1985)
Vettius and His Friends (1989)

  • The Guardroom
Afterwar (1985)

  • The Great Beer Shortage with Janet Morris
Far Frontiers Vol. VI (Fall 1986)

  • The Tank Lords
Far Frontiers Vol. VI (Fall 1986)
Hammer's Slammers (1987)
Call to Battle (1988)

  • 'Cause I Served My Time in Hell
Rebels in Hell (1986)

  • The Hand of Providence
Heroes in Hell (1986)

  • The Interrogation Team
Warrior (1986)
Caught in the Crossfire (1998)

  • The Fool
Whispers VI (July 1987)

  • Bargain
Masters in Hell (1987)

  • Learning Curve
Angels in Hell (1987)

  • Liberty Port
Alien Stars IV: Freelancers (1987)

  • Springs Eternal
Crusaders in Hell (1987)

  • Wisdom
Crusaders in Hell (1987)

  • Rescue Mission
The Fleet (1988)

  • Safe to Sea
Spacefighters (1988)

  • When the Devil Drives
The Fleet: Counterattack (1988)

  • Dreams in Amber
Vettius and His Friends (1989)

  • The False Prophet
Vettius and His Friends (1989)

  • Killer with Karl Edward Wagner
Vettius and His Friends (1989)

  • Exile
Prophets in Hell (1989)

  • Elfin Pipes of Northworld
The New York Review of Science Fiction (December 1990)

  • Looking Forward: Excerpt from Northworld: Justice
Amazing Stories (March 1992)

  • Looking Forward: Excerpt from The Sharp End
Amazing Stories (October 1993)

  • Boundary Layer
Tyrannosaur (1993)

  • King Tyrant Lizard
Tyrannosaur (1993)

  • Cannibal Plants From Heck
Alien Pregnant By Elvis (1994)

  • Airborne All the Way!
Magic, the Gathering: Tapestries (1995)

  • To Bring the Light
Locus (August 1996)

  • The Waiting Bullet
Locus (August 1996)

  • A Grand Tour
More than Honor (1998)

  • The Immovable Object
Caught in the Crossfire (1998)

  • With the Sword He Must Be Slain
Armageddon (1998)

  • A Very Offensive Weapon
All the Way to the Gallows (1995)

  • The Tradesmen
Grimmer Than Hell (2000)

  • A Death in Peacetime
The Complete Hammer's Slammers Volume 1 (2005)

  • Dragon, the Book

External links

1945 births | Living people | Alternate history writers | American fantasy writers | American science fiction writers | David Drake books

David Drake | Дрейк, Дэвид Аллен

 

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