(1945-    ) US lawyer and writer who served in the US Army in Vietnam 1969-1971 and then as the Assistant Town Attorney in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1972-1980, becoming a full-time writer in 1981, although his first story, the H P Lovecraft pastiche "Denkirch", had appeared much earlier, in Travellers by Night (anth 1967) edited by August W Derleth. The wide success of his various Military SF novels and series and Shared-World enterprises has clearly had a simplifying effect on his reputation, but Drake has, in fact, from the beginning of his career, written a wide variety of work, both stories and novels, a range perhaps best encapsulated in his first collection of unconnected stories, From the Heart of Darkness (coll 1983), which assembles sf, fantasy and horror tales written from 1974 onwards and set in the past, present and future; Night & Demons (coll 2013) conveniently augments this selection. From early in his career, his prose has been spare and telling though occasionally, in some of the more routine sf adventures, seemingly no more than cost-efficient. But that alone is a kind of virtue: even Drake's least memorable work is thoroughly well-constructed; there is never an excess of talk.

Drake first came to wide notice with his Hammer's Slammers sequence of military-sf tales set in a Space-Opera Galaxy: Hammer's Slammers (coll 1979; exp 1987), #2: At Any Price (1985), #3: Counting the Cost (1987), #4: Rolling Hot (1989), #5: The Warrior (coll 1991), #6: The Sharp End (1993) and #7: Paying the Piper (coll 2002). Also set in the Hammer's Slammers universe are Cross the Stars (1984) and The Voyage (1994), retellings of, respectively, the Odyssey (> Homer) and the tale of Jason and the Argonauts. [For further iterations of this basic series, see Checklist below.] It is very noticeable that the mercenaries involved in Hammer's Slammers, and in most of Drake's other Military SF, are (as it were) soldiers on the ground, and that representatives of the officer class generally merit the suspicion with which they are greeted. Though its general political vision could not be described as anarchist, Drake's work lacks – possibly as a consequence of his indifference to the loquacious cod stoicism ascribed by other writers to officer classes in general – a sense of philosophizing import, gaining much thereby, so that he can concentrate on the moment-to-moment exigencies of honorable mercenary soldiering.The Fleet sequence of Shared-World anthologies, created and edited by Drake and Bill Fawcett – The Fleet (anth 1988), #2: Counter Attack (anth 1988), #3: Breakthrough (anth 1989), #4: Sworn Allies (anth 1990), #5: Total War (anth 1990) and #6: Crisis (anth 1991) – does not depart markedly from this mature restraint, which is further manifested in a sequel series, the Battlestation sequence comprising Battlestation (anth 1992) and Vanguard (anth 1993).

Several sequences, and some singletons, have been published as by Drake in collaboration with others; Drake has always emphasized that these titles have been written by his "collaborators" from his outlines, and though they are formally registered as collaborations in the Checklist below, each of these Ties is also described (as Drake wishes to make articulate) as having been "written essentially by the named collaborator". The first of these is the Crisis of Empire sequence – Crisis of Empire #1: An Honorable Defense (1988) with Thomas T Thomas, #2: Cluster Command (1989) with William C Dietz, #3: The War Machine (1989) with Roger MacBride Allen and Crown of Empire (1993) with Chelsea Quinn Yarbro – which rather flamboyantly follows the plummeting career of a captain who reaches bottom in the third volume but whom we expect, eventually, to save the Empire. The Northworld sequence – Northworld (1990), #2: Vengeance (1991) and #3: Justice (1992) – sets its military operations on a world which operates as a gateway to several Alternate-History settings. The General sequence with S M Stirling, beginning with The Forge (1991), features yet another military officer, befriended on his far-off planetary home by a battle Computer planning to re-establish a Galactic Federation. The Reaches, beginning with Igniting the Reaches (1994), like several of his enterprises, takes and transmutes the life of a legendary or history character – in this case Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596), avatar of the captain of a space ship engaged in complex Space Opera conflicts.

Three substantial series – Lord of the Isles, Belisarius and the ongoing Book of the Elements – are fantasy [see Checklist for details].

With The Dragon Lord (1979), an exercise in Arthurian Sword and Sorcery, Drake began to publish singletons set in various venues and times, and of varying quality. Time Safari (coll of linked stories 1982; exp vt Tyrannosaur 1994) makes one of the hoary Clichés of Time-Travel tales – the Dinosaur hunt – vividly present to the mind's eye through the well-researched verisimilitude of the telling. Birds of Prey (1984) brings Ancient Rome, again through time travel, vividly to life, as does Killer (1974 Midnight Sun #1; 1985) with Karl Edward Wagner (1945-1994). Bridgehead (1986) combines time travel with interstellar military action and intrigue. Dagger (1988) is a tied contribution to the Thieves' World enterprise, and Explorers in Hell (1989) with Janet E Morris is part of the Heroes in Hell enterprise. Old Nathan (coll of linked stories 1991), set in a traditional USA, nostalgically tells tales of a crabby but lovable ghost-hunter. Patriots (1996), written for a Young Adult audience, translates Ethan Allen (1738-1789) and the Green Mountain Boys into analogous actions played out at the edge of colonized space. Drake has not yet written any significant work derived from or inspired by the exceedingly complex world into which the working soldiers, who remain clearly close to his central concerns as a writer, have in the early twenty-first century, been plummeted. Future novels are awaited with anticipation. [JC]

see also: Aliens; Future War; Gamebook; Games and Sports; Star General; Venus; Weapons.

David Allen Drake

born Dubuque, Iowa: 24 September 1945

died

works

series

Hammer's Slammers

first iteration

• Hammer's Slammers (New York: Ace Books, 1979) [coll: Hammer's Slammers: pb/Paul Alexander]
  • Hammer's Slammers (New York: Baen Books, 1987) [coll: exp of the above: Hammer's Slammers: pb/]
• Cross the Stars (New York: Tor, 1984) [associated with Hammer's Slammers: pb/Alan Gutierrez]
• At Any Price (New York: Baen Books, 1985) [coll: Hammer's Slammers: pb/Paul Alexander]
• Counting the Cost (New York: Baen Books, 1987) [Hammer's Slammers: pb/Paul Alexander]
  • Hammer's Slammers – Counting the Cost (London: Legend, 1987) [vt of the above: Hammer's Slammers: pb/Eddie jones]
• Rolling Hot (New York: Baen Books, 1989) [Hammer's Slammers: pb/Paul Alexander]
• The Warrior (New York: Baen Books, 1991) [coll: Hammer's Slammers: pb/Paul Alexander]
• The Sharp End (New York: Baen Books, 1993) [Hammer's Slammers: hb/Larry Elmore]
• The Voyage (New York: Tor, 1994) [associated with Hammer's Slammers: pb/Donato Giancola]
• Paying the Piper (New York: Baen Books, 2002) [coll: Hammer's Slammers: pb/Larry Elmore]

second iteration

• The Tank Lords (New York: Baen Books, 1997) [coll: reassembling material from the first iteration of the series, see above, plus new material: Hammer's Slammers: pb/Larry Elmore]
• Caught in the Crossfire (New York: Baen Books, 1998) [omni: assembling Counting the Cost and The Warrior and other material from the first iteration of the series, see above, plus new material: Hammer's Slammers: pb/Larry Elmore]
• The Butcher's Bill (New York: Baen Books, 1998) [coll: reassembling material from the first iteration of the series, see above, plus new material: Hammer's Slammers: pb/Charles Keegan]

third iteration

• The Complete Hammer's Slammers, Volume One (San Francisco, California: Night Shade Books, 2006) [coll: reassembling material from the first and second iteration of the series, see above; plus new material: Hammer's Slammers: hb/]
• The Complete Hammer's Slammers, Volume Two (San Francisco, California: Night Shade Books, 2007) [coll: reassembling material from the first and second iteration of the series, see above; plus new material: Hammer's Slammers: hb/]

Crisis of Empire

• Crisis of Empire I: An Honorable Defense (New York: Baen Books, 1988) with Thomas T Thomas [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: Crisis of Empire: hb/Paul Alexander]
• Crisis of Empire II: Cluster Command (New York: Baen Books, 1989) with William C Dietz [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: Crisis of Empire: hb/Paul Alexander]
• Crisis of Empire III: The War Machine (New York: Baen Books, 1989) with Roger McBride Allen [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: Crisis of Empire: hb/Paul Alexander]
• Crisis of Empire IV: Crown of Empire (New York: Baen Books, 1993) with Chelsea Quinn Yarbro [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: Crisis of Empire: hb/Paul Alexander]

Seas of Venus

• Surface Action (New York: Ace Books, 1990) [set in the Venusian world created by Henry Kuttner and C L Moore for "Clash by Night" (March 1943 Astounding) and sequels: Seas of Venus: pb/Tony Roberts]
• The Jungle (New York: Tor, 1992) [set in the Venusian world created by Henry Kuttner and C L Moore for "Clash by Night" (March 1943 Astounding) and sequels: Seas of Venus: hb/Allan Gutierrez]
  • Seas of Venus (New York: Baen Books, 2002) [omni of the above two: set in the Venusian world created by Henry Kuttner and C L Moore for "Clash by Night" (March 1943 Astounding) and sequels: Seas of Venus: pb/Bob Eggleton]

The General

• The Forge (New York: Baen Books, 1991) with S M Stirling [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: The General: pb/Paul Alexander]
• The Hammer (New York: Baen Books, 1992) with S M Stirling [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: The General: pb/Paul Alexander]
  • Warlord (New York: Baen Books, 2003) with S M Stirling [omni of the above two: The General: hb/David Mattingly]
• The Anvil (New York: Baen Books, 1993) with S M Stirling [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: The General: pb/Paul Alexander]
• The Steel (New York: Baen Books, 1993) with S M Stirling [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: The General: pb/Paul Alexander]
• The Sword (New York: Baen Books, 1995) with S M Stirling [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: The General: pb/Paul Alexander]
  • Conqueror (New York: Baen Books, 2003) with S M Stirling [omni of the above three: The General: hb/David Mattingly]
• The Chosen (New York: Baen Books, 1996) with S M Stirling [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: The General: Follow-On Series: pb/Stephen Hickman]
• The Reformer (New York: Baen Books, 1996) with S M Stirling [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: The General: Follow-On Series: pb/Garry (Gary) Ruddell]
• The Tyrant (New York: Baen Books, 2002) with Eric Flint [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: The General: Follow-On Series: pb/Garry (Gary) Ruddell]

Thieves' World

• Dagger (New York: Ace Books, 1988) [tie: Thieves' World: pb/Gary Ruddell]

Heroes in Hell

• Explorers in Hell (New York: Baen Books, 1989) with Janet E Morris [tie: to the series: Heroes in Hell: pb/David Mattingly]

Car Warriors TM

• Car Warriors TM #1: The Square Deal (New York: Tor, 1992) [tie: to the game Car Wars: Car Warriors: pb/John Zeleznik]

Northworld

• Northworld (New York: Ace Books, 1990) [Northworld: pb/Tone Roberts]
• Northworld: Vengeance (New York: Ace Books, 1991) [Northworld: pb/Roger Loveless]
• Northworld: Justice (New York: Ace Books, 1992) [Northworld: pb/Roger Loveless]
  • Northworld Trilogy (New York: Baen Books, 1999) [omni of the above three: Northworld: pb/Patrick Turner]

The Reaches

• Igniting the Reaches (New York: Ace Books, 1994) [The Reaches: hb/Bruce Jensen]
• Through the Breach (New York: Ace Books, 1995) [The Reaches: hb/Bruce Jensen]
• Fireships (New York: Ace Books, 1996) [The Reaches: hb/Bruce Jensen]
  • The Reaches (New York: Baen Books, 2004) [omni of the above three: The Reaches: hb/Stephen Hickman]

Terra Nova

• Enemy of my Enemy (New York: Baen Books, 1996) with Ben Ohlander (1965-    ) [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: only volume to appear in this series: Terra Nova: pb/Paul Alexander]

ARC Riders

• ARC Riders (New York: Warner Aspect, 1996) with Janet E Morris [ARC Riders: pb/Jean Targete]
• ARC Riders: The Fourth Rome (New York: Warner Aspect, 1996) with Janet E Morris [ARC Riders: pb/Jean Targete]

Lord of the Isles

• Lord of the Isles (New York: Tor, 1997) [Lord of the Isles: hb/Kevin Murphy]
• Queen of Diamonds (New York: Tor, 1998) [Lord of the Isles: hb/Donato Giancola]
• Servant of the Dragon (New York: Tor, 1999) [Lord of the Isles: hb/Donato Giancola]
• Mistress of the Catacombs (New York: Tor, 2001) [Lord of the Isles: hb/Donato Giancola]
• Goddess of the Ice Realm (New York: Tor, 2003) [Lord of the Isles: hb/Donato Giancola]
• Master of the Cauldron (New York: Tor, 2004) [Lord of the Isles: hb/Donato Giancola]
• The Fortress of Glass (New York: Tor, 2006) [Lord of the Isles: hb/Donato Giancola]
• The Mirror of Worlds (New York: Tor, 2007) [Lord of the Isles: hb/Donato Giancola]
• The Gods Return (New York: Tor, 2008) [Lord of the Isles: hb/Donato Giancola]

Belisarius

• An Oblique Approach (New York: Baen Books, 1998) with Eric Flint [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: Belisarius: pb/Keith Parkinson]
• In the Heart of Darkness (New York: Baen Books, 1998) with Eric Flint [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: Belisarius: pb/David Mattingly]
  • Belisarius I: Thunder at Dawn (New York: Baen Books, 2008) [omni of the above two: Belisarius: hb/Kurt Miller]
• Destiny's Shield (New York: Baen Books, 1999) with Eric Flint [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: Belisarius: pb/Keith Parkinson]
• Fortune's Stroke (New York: Baen Books, 2000) with Eric Flint [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: Belisarius: pb/Gary Ruddell]
  • Belisarius II: Storm at Noontide (New York: Baen Books, 2009) [omni of the above two: Belisarius: hb/Kurt Miller]
• The Tide of Victory (New York: Baen Books, 2001) with Eric Flint [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: Belisarius: pb/]
• The Dance of Time (New York: Baen Books, 2006) with Eric Flint [tie: written essentially by the named collaborator: Belisarius: pb/]
  • Belisarius III: The Flames of Sunset (New York: Baen Books, 2008) [omni of the above two: Belisarius: hb/]

RCN/Leary and Mundy

• With the Lightnings (New York: Baen Books, 1998) [RCN/Leary and Mundy: hb/David Mattingly]
• Lt Leary, Commanding (New York: Baen Books, 2000) [RCN/Leary and Mundy: hb/Stephen Hickman]
• The Far Side of the Stars (New York: Baen Books, 2003) [RCN/Leary and Mundy: hb/Stephen Hickman]
• Some Golden Harbor (New York: Baen Books, 2006) [RCN/Leary and Mundy: hb/Stephen Hickman]
• When the Tide Rises (New York: Baen Books, 2008) [RCN/Leary and Mundy: hb/Stephen Hickman]
• In the Stormy Red Sky (New York: Baen Books, 2009) [RCN/Leary and Mundy: hb/Stephen Hickman]
• What Distant Deeps (New York: Baen Books, 2010) [RCN/Leary and Mundy: hb/Stephen Hickman]

Book of the Elements

• The Legions of Fire (New York: Tor, 2010) [Book of the Elements: hb/Donato Giancola]
• Out of the Waters (New York: Tor, 2011) [Book of the Elements: hb/Donato Giancola]

individual titles

• The Dragon Lord (New York: G P Putnam's Sons, 1979) [hb/Gianni Benvenuti]
• Birds of Prey (New York: Baen Books, 1984) [pb/Michael Whelan]
• The Forlorn Hope (New York: Tor, 1984) [pb/Alan Gutierrez]
• Killer (New York: Baen Books, 1985) with Karl Edward Wagner [first published in very different form in 1974 in Midnight Sun #1: pb/David Mattingly]
• Bridgehead (New York: Tor, 1986) [pb/]
• Active Measures (New York: Baen Books, 1985) with Janet Morris [pb/Vincent Di Fate]
• Ranks of Bronze (New York: Baen Books, 1986) [pb/Alan Gutierrez]
• Fortress (New York: Tor, 1987) [hb/Alan Gutierrez]
• Kill Ratio (New York: Ace Books, 1987) with Janet E Morris [pb/Michael Herring]
• The Sea Hag (New York: Baen Books, 1988) [pb/Larry Elmore]
• Target (New York: Ace Books, 1989) with Janet E Morris [pb/Mark Watts]
• The Enchanted Bunny (New York: Tor, 1990) [chap: dos: pb/]
• The Hunter Returns (New York: Baen Books, 1991) with Jim Kjelgaard [expanded by Drake from Jim Kjelgaard's Firehunter (1951): pb/]
• Starliner (New York: Baen Books, 1992) [pb/Paul Alexander]
• Redliners (New York: Baen Books, 1996) [pb/Gary Ruddell]
• Patriots (New York: Tor, 1996) [hb/Tristan Elwell]
• An Oblique Approach (New York: Baen Books, 1998) with Eric Flint [pb/]

collections and stories

• Time Safari (New York: Tor, 1982) [coll of linked stories: pb/E T Broeck Steadman]
  • Tyrannosaur (New York: Tor, 1994) [coll of linked stories: rev vt of the above: pb/Joe DeVito]
• From the Heart of Darkness (New York: Tor, 1983) [coll: pb/Michael Whelan]
• Skyripper (New York: Tor, 1983) [coll: pb/]
• Lacey and his Friends (New York: Baen Books, 1986) [coll of linked stories: pb/Stephen Hickman]
• Vettius and his Friends (New York: Baen Books, 1989) [coll of linked stories: pb/Stephen Hickman]
• The Military Dimension (New York: Baen Books, 1991) [coll: pb/John Rheaume]
  • The Military Dimension: Mark II (New York: Baen Books, 1995) [coll: exp of the above: pb/Newell Convers and John Pierrard]
• Old Nathan (New York: Baen Books, 1991) [coll of linked stories: pb/Larry Elmore]
• All the Way to the Gallows (New York: Baen Books, 1996) [coll: pb/Bob Eggleton]
• Codex (Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Sidecar Preservation Society, 2003) [story: chap: early story, previously unpublished in English: hb/Kevin Lenagh]
• Grimmer than Hell (New York: Baen Books, 2003) [coll: hb/Steven Hickman]
• Other Times Than Peace (New York: Baen Books, 2003) [coll: hb/Kurt Miller]
• Balefires (San Francisco, California: Night Shade Books, 2007) [coll: hb/Richard Pellegrino]
• Into the Hinterlands (New York: Baen Books, 2011) with John Lambshead [coll: hb/]
• Night & Demons (New York: Baen Books, 2013) [coll: pb/Alan Pollack]

works as editor

The Fleet

• The Fleet (New York: Ace Books, 1988) with Bill Fawcett [anth: tie: The Fleet: pb/Jim Gurney]
• The Fleet #2: Counter Attack (New York: Ace Books, 1988) with Bill Fawcett [anth: tie: The Fleet: pb/Jim Gurney]
• The Fleet #3: Breakthrough (New York: Ace Books, 1989) with Bill Fawcett [anth: tie: The Fleet: pb/Jim Gurney]
• The Fleet #4: Sworn Allies (New York: Ace Books, 1990) with Bill Fawcett [anth: tie: The Fleet: pb/Jim Gurney]
• The Fleet #5: Total War (New York: Ace Books, 1990) with Bill Fawcett [anth: tie: The Fleet: pb/Jim Gurney]
• The Fleet #6: Crisis (New York: Ace Books, 1991) with Bill Fawcett [anth: tie: The Fleet: pb/Jim Gurney]

Starhunters

• Men Hunting Things (New York: Baen Books, 1988) [anth: Starhunters: pb/Pat Ortega]
• Things Hunting Men (New York: Baen Books, 1988) [anth: Starhunters: pb/Pat Ortega]
• Bluebloods (New York: Baen Books, 1990) [anth: Starhunters: pb/Pat Ortega]

Space

• Space Gladiators (New York: Ace Books, 1989) with Martin H Greenberg and Charles G Waugh [anth: Space: pb/Walter Velez]
• Space Infantry (New York: Ace Books, 1989) with Martin H Greenberg and Charles G Waugh [anth: Space: pb/Walter Velez]
• Space Dreadnoughts (New York: Ace Books, 1989) with Martin H Greenberg and Charles G Waugh [anth: Space: pb/Walter Velez]

Battlestation

• Battlestation (New York: Ace Books, 1992) with Bill Fawcett [anth: tie: Battlestation: pb/Bob Eggleton]
• Vanguard (New York: Ace Books, 1993) with Bill Fawcett [anth: tie: Battlestation: pb/Bob Eggleton]
  • Battlestations (Canton, Ohio: Prime Books, 2011) [omni of the above two: pod: Battlestation: pb/Marco Siegel]

individual titles

• A Separate Star: A Science Fiction Tribute to Rudyard Kipling (New York: Baen Books, 1989) with Sandra Miesel [anth: comprising works by Rudyard Kipling plus essays and stories by other writers: contents differ from Heads to the Storm below: pb/Stephen Hickman]
• Heads to the Storm: A Science Fiction Tribute to Rudyard Kipling (New York: Baen Books, 1989) with Sandra Miesel [anth: comprising works by Rudyard Kipling plus essays and stories by other writers: contents differ from A Separate Star above: pb/Stephen Hickman]
• The Eternal City (New York: Baen Books, 1990) with Martin H Greenberg and Charles G Waugh [anth: pb/John Rheaume]
• A Century of Horror 1970-1979: The Greatest Stories of the Decade (New York: MJF Publications, 1997) with Martin H Greenberg [anth: hb/Murray Tinkelman]
• Armageddon (New York: Baen Books, 1998) with Billie Sue Mosiman and Martin H Greenberg [anth: pb/David Mattingly]
• More Than Honor (New York: Baen Books, 1998) with S M Stirling and David Weber [anth: Honor Harrington: pb/David Mattingly]
• Foreign Legions (New York: Baen Books, 2001) [anth: hb/Dru Blair]
• Dogs of War: Or, Battle's Sound (New York: Warner Books, 2001) with Martin H Greenberg [anth: pb/Donato Giancola]
• The World Turned Upside Down (New York: Baen Books, 2004) with Jim Baen and Eric Flint [anth: hb/Tom Kidd]

links

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