David Drake
David Drake
Author • Editor1945-09-24 – 2023-12-10 · From United States- Books
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About
The Army took David Drake from Duke Law School and sent him on a motorized tour of Viet Nam and Cambodia with the 11th Cav, the Blackhorse. He learned new skills, saw interesting sights, and met exotic people who hadn’t run fast enough to get away.
Dave returned to become Chapel Hill’s Assistant Town Attorney and to try to put his life back together through fiction making sense of his Army experiences.
Dave describes war from where he saw it: the loader’s hatch of a tank in Cambodia. His military experience, combined with his formal education in history and Latin, has made him one of the foremost writers of realistic action SF and fantasy. His bestselling Hammer’s Slammers series is credited with creating the genre of modern Military SF. He often wished he had a less interesting background.
Dave lived with his family in rural North Carolina. He died on December 10, 2023.
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Fiction Science Fiction Space Opera Fantasy Military
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Frequently asked questions
David Drake is widely recognized for his Hammer's Slammers series, which pioneered the military science fiction subgenre. His work often draws on his experiences as a combat veteran in Vietnam, providing a gritty and realistic portrayal of warfare.
New readers interested in his signature style should begin with 'Hammer's Slammers' to experience his foundational military science fiction. For those looking for fantasy, 'Lord of the Isles' is a good entry point into that aspect of his work.
David Drake has occasionally used the pseudonym Richard Kirk for some of his fantasy works. He has also collaborated with other authors on various projects.
The Hammer's Slammers series can be read in publication order, starting with the collection 'Hammer's Slammers,' which introduces the core concepts and characters. While some stories are standalone, following the publication sequence generally provides the best narrative flow.