Drake, David 1945–

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Drake, David 1945–

(David Allen Drake)

PERSONAL: Born September 24, 1945, in Dubuque, IA; son of Earle Charles (a maintenance foreman) and Maxine Drake; married Joanne Kammiller (a teacher), June 5, 1967; children: Jonathan. Education: University of Iowa, B.A. (with honors), 1967; Duke University, J.D., 1972.

ADDRESSES: Home—Chapel Hill, NC.

CAREER: Town of Chapel Hill, NC, assistant town attorney, 1972–80; part-time bus driver, 1981; freelance writer, 1981–. Partner of Carcosa (publisher). Military service: U.S. Army, 1969–71; served in Vietnam and Cambodia.

MEMBER: International Fortean Organization, Science Fiction Writers of America, Phi Beta Kappa.

WRITINGS:

FICTION

Hammer's Slammers, Ace (New York, NY), 1979.

The Dragon Lord, Berkeley (New York, NY), 1979.

From the Heart of Darkness, Tor (New York, NY), 1983.

Skyripper, Tor (New York, NY), 1983.

Cross the Stars, Tor (New York, NY), 1984.

Birds of Prey, Baen (New York, NY), 1984.

The Forlorn Hope, Tor (New York, NY), 1984.

At Any Price, Baen (New York, NY), 1985.

(With Karl Edward Wagner) Killer, Baen (New York, NY), 1985.

(With Janet Morris) Active Measures, Baen (New York, NY), 1985.

Bridgehead, Tor (New York, NY), 1986.

Ranks of Bronze, Baen (New York, NY), 1986.

Lacey and His Friends, Baen (New York, NY), 1986.

Counting the Cost, Baen (New York, NY), 1987.

(With Janet Morris) Kill Ratio, Ace (New York, NY), 1987.

Fortress, T. Doherty Associates (New York, NY), 1987.

Dagger, Ace (New York, NY), 1988.

The Sea Hag, Baen (New York, NY), 1988.

(With Janet Morris) Target, Ace (New York, NY), 1989.

Time Safari, Baen (New York, NY), 1989.

(With Janet Morris) Explorers in Hell, Baen (New York, NY), 1989.

Vettius and His Friends, Baen (New York, NY), 1989.

Rolling Hot, Baen (New York, NY), 1989.

Northworld, Ace (New York, NY), 1990.

Surface Action, Ace (New York, NY), 1990.

(With Jim Kjelgaard) The Hunter Returns, Baen (New York, NY), 1991.

Vengeance, Ace (New York, NY), 1991.

The Military Dimension, Baen (New York, NY), 1991.

The Warrior, Baen (New York, NY), 1991.

Old Nathan, Baen (New York, NY), 1991.

The Jungle, Tor (New York, NY), 1991.

Justice, Ace (New York, NY), 1992.

Starliner, Baen (New York, NY), 1992.

The Square Deal, Tor (New York, NY), 1992.

The Sharp End, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 1993.

Igniting the Reaches, Ace (New York, NY), 1994.

The Voyage, T. Doherty Associates (New York, NY), 1994.

(With Janet Morris) Arc Riders, Warner, 1995.

Through the Breach, Ace (New York, NY), 1995.

(With Janet Morris) The Fourth Rome, Warner (New York, NY), 1996.

All the Way to the Gallows, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 1996.

Fireships, Ace (New York, NY), 1996.

Redliners, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 1996.

Patriots, Tom Doherty Associates (New York, NY), 1996.

With the Lightnings, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 1998.

The Butcher's Bill, Baen (New York, NY), 1998.

Lt. Leary, Commanding, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2000.

(With Eric Flint) The Tide of Victory, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2001.

(With Eric Flint and David Weber) The Warmasters, edited by Bill Fawcett, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2002.

(With Eric Flint) The Tyrant, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2002.

Paying the Piper, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2002.

Sea of Venus, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2002.

Far Side of the Stars, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2003.

Grimmer Than Hell (short stories) Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2003.

The Reaches, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2004.

The Way to Glory, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2005.

Other Times than Peace, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2006.

Some Golden Harbor, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2006.

The Complete Hammer Slammers Volume One, Night Shade Books, (San Francisco, CA) 2006.

Contributor of more than one hundred stories to magazines. Assistant editor of Whispers.

"LORD OF THE ISLES" SERIES

Lord of the Isles, Tor (New York, NY), 1997.

Queen of Demons, Tor (New York, NY), 1998.

Servant of the Dragon, Tor (New York, NY), 1999

Mistress of the Catacombs, Tor (New York, NY), 2001.

Goddess of the Ice Realm, Tor (New York, NY), 2003.

Master of the Cauldron, Tor (New York, NY), 2004.

The Fortress of Glass, Tor (New York, NY), 2006.

Contributor to Blood and War, Baen (Riverdale, New York, NY), 1993; Foreign Legions, Baen (Riverdale, New York, NY), 2001; The Warmasters, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2002.

OTHER

(With Newt and Marianne Gingrich) Window of Opportunity: A Blueprint for the Future, T. Doherty Associates in association with Baen Enterprises (New York, NY), 1984.

AUTHOR OF OUTLINES; LISTED AS COAUTHOR; FICTION

(With Thomas T. Thomas) Crisis of Empire, An Honorable Defense, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 1988.

(With W.C. Dietz) Cluster Command, Baen (New York, NY), 1989.

(With Roger MacBride Allen) The War Machine, Baen (New York, NY),1989.

(With S.M. Stirling) The Forge, Baen (New York, NY), 1991.

(With S.M. Stirling) The Hammer, Baen (New York, NY), 1992.

(With Chelsea Quinn Yarbro) Crown of Empire, Baen (New York, NY), 1993.

(With S.M. Stirling) The Anvil, Baen (New York, NY), 1993.

(With S.M. Stirling) The Steel, Baen (New York, NY), 1993.

(With S.M. Stirling) The Sword, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 1995.

(With S.M. Stirling) The Chosen, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 1996.

(Wit Ben Ohlander) Enemy of My Enemy, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 1996.

(With Eric Flint) An Oblique Approach, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 1998.

(With Eric Flint) In the Heart of Darkness, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 1998.

(With Eric Flint) Destiny's Shield, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 1999.

(With S.M. Stirling) The Reformer, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 1999.

(With Eric Flint) Fortune's Stroke, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2000.

(With S.M. Stirling) Warlord, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2002.

(With S.M. Stirling) Conqueror, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2003.

(With Eric Flint) The Dance of Time, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2006.

EDITOR

(With Charles G. Waugh and Martin Harry Greenberg) Space Gladiators, Ace (New York, NY), 1989.

(With Bill Fawcett) Vanguard, Ace (New York, NY), 1993.

Dogs of War, Warner Books (New York, NY), 2002.

(With Eric Flint and Jim Baen) The World Turned Upside Down, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2005.

A.E. Van Vogt, Transgalactic, Baen (Riverdale, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS: David Drake is an American science fiction and fantasy fiction writer. Known for creating science fiction and fantasy series, including his well-known "Hammer's Slammers" and "Lord of the Isles," Drake is considered by many critics to be a master of epic, military science fiction.

In Drake's Lord of the Isles, the author "uses his experience writing military and historical sf to craft an intricate first book in a new epic fantasy series," commented Susan Hamburger in Library Journal. Booklist reviewer Roland Green, commenting that Drake is suited to the saga form, found the cast "large and well drawn, the pacing brisk, the world building outstanding." A reviewer writing in Publishers Weekly faulted the book for resolving unsatisfactorily, but praised Drake's use of magic as more complex than typical fantasy novels: "His settings and magical creatures provide surprise and drama as well as plenty of color." The reviewer also noted: "This substantial fantasy, in which moral and physical threats are serious and the actions of the characters have real consequences, will appeal to those tired of watered-down myth."

Drake's other works have received similar critical reception. Drake's 1998 novel With the Lightnings was called an "intelligent page-turner" by Roland Green in Booklist. Green commented: "Drake seldom falls down in his pacing or fails to deliver ingenious hardware and gripping action scenes." Jackie Cassada in Library Journal wrote: "[With the Lightnings] once again demonstrates the author's talent for arcane politics and vivid battle scenes."

Drake's sequel to Lord of the Isles, Queen of Demons, was faulted by some critics for involving too many subplots. Many critics, however, lauded other aspects of the work. A Publishers Weekly contributor claimed: "Drake conjures a sense of enchantment—and danger—with original and convincing settings, situations and characters. Moreover, unlike too many fantasy characters, these protagonists mature through their adventures." "Imaginative world-building and attention to magical details makes this a good choice for most fantasy collections," argued Jackie Cassada in Library Journal.

In 1999, Drake published Destiny's Shield, the third novel in a series co-written with Eric Flint. "Drake's consummate skill as a creator of military sf and Flint's historical expertise come together in a historical fantasy with sf overtones," noted Cassada in Library Journal. Though a Publishers Weekly contributor found the resolution to the novel "superficial," the reviewer nonetheless praised the "battle scenes and strategies" as "expert as expected in a book with Drake's name on it."

In the third book in the "Lord of the Isles" series, Servant of the Dragon, the four primary characters each have a quest that leads them to battle sorcery. Roland Green, writing in Booklist, noted that the book includes "Dalar the pirate, one of the saga's more engaging and original characters." The next book in the series, Mistress of the Catacombs, was called a "worthwhile continuation of what is emerging as the author's most important work" by a Publishers Weekly contributor.

Goddess of the Ice Realm, continues the "Lord of the Isles" series and features King Garric's adviser, the sorceress Tenoctris and an effort to unite the Kingdom of the Isles. Green, once again writing in Booklist, noted that the volume includes a "climax in which everyone is swept toward a grand, ultimately compellingly powerful, resolution." A Publishers Weekly contributor commented that the novel is "written in an accessible style." In Master of the Cauldron, one of the primary characters, King Garric, is now lord of all the isles but soon faces someone who wishes to dethrone him. Booklist contributor Green noted the novel's battle sequences and wrote that the author "draws [them] with great, gritty realism on both material and magical planes."

Fortress of Glass is a part of the "Lord of the Isles" series but also the first in a trilogy, as the author noted on his Web site, "whose individual pieces will read far better in order as a whole." Writing in the Library Journal, Jackie Cassada noted the author's "inventive approach to magic and his solidly built characters." A Publishers Weekly contributor commented that Drake "makes the most of his setting based on the classical Mediterranean world."

Fortune's Stroke is the fourth novel in the alternate-history series cowritten with Eric Flint and features two beings from the future traveling back to the sixth century to alter the future. The storyline features the future beings inhabiting human hosts to influence both the Malwa and Byzantine Empires. A Publishers Weekly contributor noted that readers "should sit back and chortle while admiring the authors' alternate-technological ingenuity." Roland Green, once again writing in Booklist, commented: "If one accepts the series' fantastic premises, enjoyment is ensured." In the Tide of Victory, the Malway empire is facing war conducted by the Romans, Ethiopians, and Persians, with the war leading to a rebellion by the Malwa people. Green called the book "a feast for any military sf reader with a sense of humor." A Publishers Weekly contributor commented: "Overall, though, the fascination of seeing familiar tactics applied in unfamiliar situations makes this novel a winner."

Drake tells the story of Royal Cinnabar Navy Lieutenant Daniel Leary and his involvement in a political predicament on another planet in Lt. Leary, Commanding, which is the sequel to With the Lightnings, Along with his "cybernetician" partner Adele Mundy, Drake helps a local princess fight off factions wishing to overthrow her family. Booklist contributor Roland Green commented that the author's "sense of humor infuses the characters here with agreeable qualities." A Publishers Weekly contributor noted "the wonderfully strong quality of the follow-up." The Far Side of the Stars also features Leary and his partner Mundy, who this time are on the search for the last known map of Old Earth. Booklist contributor Roland Green noted: "Readers who have been entranced by the previous adventures … will sigh with relief to see them again." Some Golden Harbor also features Leary and was called a "rousing old-fashioned space opera" by a Publishers Weekly reviewer.

Drake also collaborated with Eric Flint on The Tyrant, a sequel to The Reformer which Drake wrote with Steve Stirling. The novel revolves around the fall of the Roman Republic. Writing in Booklist, Roland Green commented that even readers unfamiliar with the previous book "will eventually join the historically versed in sitting back and enjoying."

Paying the Piper is another entry in the "Hammer's Slammers" series and includes three novellas, each of which feature the adventures of Lt. Arnie Huber. Booklist contributor Green noted that "the action scenes … are … vivid and compelling."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Analog Science Fiction-Science Fact, December, 1983, Tom Easton, review of Skyripper, p. 163; October, 1984, Tom Easton, review of The Forlorn Hope, p. 148; March, 1985, Tom Easton, review of Birds of Prey, p. 146; June, 1985, Tom Easton, review of Killer, p. 162; November, 1986, Tom Easton, review of Ranks of Bronze, p. 177; May 15, 2001, Roland Green, review of The Tide of Victory, p. 1738; February 1, 2006, Roland Green, review of The Fortress of Glass, p. 37.

Booklist, August, 1996, Roland Green, review of Redliners, p. 1888; August, 1997, Roland Green, review of Lord of the Isles, p. 1886; May 15, 1998, Roland Green, review of With the Lightnings, p. 1600; July, 1998, Roland Green, review of Caught in the Crossfire, p. 1867; August, 1998, Roland Green, review of Queen of the Demons, p. 1978; September 15, 1999, Roland Green, review of Servant of the Dragons p. 239; May 15, 2000, Roland Green, review of Fortune's Stroke, p. 1734; July, 2000, Roland Green, review of Lt. Leary, Commanding, p. 2015; October 15, 2001, Roland Green, review of Mistress of the Catacombs, p. 387; April 1, 2002, Roland Green, review of The Tyrant, p. 1313; July, 2002, Roland Green, review of Paying the Piper, p. 1832; January 1, 2003, Roland Green, review of Grimmer Than Hell, p. 860; September 1, 2003, Roland Green, review of Goddess of the Ice Realm, p. 74; September 15, 2003, Roland Green, review of The Far Side of the Stars, p. 217; October 15, 2004, Roland Green, review of Master of the Cauldron, p. 395; December 1, 2004, Carl Hays, review of The World Turned Upside Down, p. 643.

Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2001, review of Mistress of the Catacombs, p. 1075; February 15, 2002, review of The Tyrant, p. 228; March 15, 2002, review of The Warmasters, p. 374; February 1, 2006, review of The Fortress of Glass, p. 116.

Library Journal, September 15, 1997, Susan Hamburger, review of Lord of the Isles, p. 106; June 15, 1998, Jackie Cassada, review of With the Lightnings, p. 111; September 15, 1998, Jackie Cassada, review of Queen of Demons, p. 117; July, 1999, Jackie Cassada, review of Destiny's Shield, p. 143; October 15, 2004, Jackie Cassada, review of Master of the Cauldron, p. 58; March 15, 2006, Jackie Cassada, review of The Fortress of Glass, p. 66.

Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, October, 1983, Algis Budrys, review of Skyripper, p. 27; December, 1985, Algis Budrys, review of Birds of Prey, p. 40.

Publishers Weekly, November 29, 1993, review of The Voyage, p. 57; April 10, 1995, review of Through the Breach, p. 58; May 20, 1996, review of The Fourth Rome, p. 255; May 27, 1996, review of Fireships, p. 60; October 21, 1996, review of Patriots, p. 75; July 28, 1997, review of Lord of the Isles, p. 59; June 22, 1998, review of With the Lightnings, p. 89; August 31, 1998, review of Queen of Demons, p. 52; March 29, 1999, review of The Reformer, p. 97; June 21, 1999, review of Destiny's Shield, p. 61; August 30, 1999, review of Servant of the Dragon, p. 59; May 15, 2000, review of Fortune's Stroke, p. 94; July 3, 2000, review of Lt. Leary, Commanding, p. 54; May 14, 2001, review of Foreign Legions, p. 58; June 4, 2001, review of The Tide of Victory, p. 62; September 24, 2001, review of Mistress of the Catacombs, p. 75; March 25, 2002, review of The Tyrant, p. 47; January 20, 2003, review of Grimmer Than Hell, p. 62; August 25, 2003, review of Goddess of the Ice Realm, p. 44; January 2, 2006, review of The Complete Hammer's Slammers: Volume One, p. 40; February 13, 2006, review of The Fortress of Glass, p. 66; August 7, 2006, review of Some Golden Harbor, p. 38.