David Drake, the author or co-author of over 80 science fiction and fantasy books, passed away on December 10, 2023 in Silk Hope, North Carolina. Drake, a Vietnam veteran and lawyer, turned to writing full-time in 1981, a few years after his first book was published.
Drake was born on September 24, 1945. He studied at Duke Law School and was drafted into the army in 1970, where he was assigned to the 11th Cavalry Regiment (a.k.a. the Blackhorse), where he, via tank, spent the war in Vietnam and Cambodia. He finished law school after he returned and became Chapel Hill, North Carolina’s Assistant Town Attorney. He turned to writing to help him grapple with his army experiences, and his first book, the short story collection Hammer’s Slammers came out in 1979.
“The stories [in Hammer’s Slammers] were more important to me as self-therapy than they were as the start of a career,” Drake wrote on his website about his first published book. “They gave me a chance to write about what I’d seen and heard; about the men I’d served with and person I’d become in that time. Being able to get that out on paper helped me keep it between the ditches and (from what they’ve told me) helped other veterans by showing them that they weren’t alone.”
Hammer’s Slammers was a ten-book series and became his best-known work, which includes dozens of other novels including the fantasy series Lord of the Isles and the Lt. Leary series. He also provided outlines for numerous books, including the Belisarious series and The General series.
Drake stopped writing in November 2021 due to health issues. “I have a long memory. This certainly isn’t a virtue when somebody else remembers another way and I refuse to change my belief,” he wrote in his last newsletter on November 17, 2023. “Sometimes it’s clearly a good thing though, being able to remember events in the army. Not so much because they gave me a career, not so much because of specific incidents as by giving me the feel of a war zone. That’s really different from normal life.”
He will be missed.
Drake had seen war from the sharp end but could also write with a classicist’s perspective: a combination seldom matched. I would also draw attention to the grim but real Redliners and to his horror and fantasy stories collected in gradually longer formats as From the Heart of Darkness/Balefires/Night & Demons.
He will be missed. His books told such real stories from history through the lens of fantastic environments that were so tangible to the reader. I have saved every book of his so my son can read them. Truly an amazing author.
I also remember his historical fantasy, The Dragon Lord, which took a very un-heroic view of King Arthur, from the viewpoint of his foot soldiers. A Hammer’s Slammers for D&D fans.
Sad to hear this. My condolences to his family. Loved the Lt Leary series.
Such a loss. Reading his writing at a young age shaped how I view wars, those who declare them, them who fight them, and those who die in or survive them.
Drake could tell a tale entertainingly; in terms of tone, however, very interesting contrast with Joe Haldeman, who was also a US Army veteran and a combat veteran of the conflict in Southeast Asia.
He was the reason I started writing. I read the slammers books as a kid and they changed both the kinds of books I chose to read and my entertainment in general. It always felt more real than other stories.
RIP fellow veteran. Your values live on through the works you gave us and the stories they tell. Like other great authors your books will entertain and educate readers for decades and maybe centuries to come. May your friends and loved ones find comfort in the memories you forged with them and the reputation that you built.
I first discovered him in the pages of WHISPERS around 1973. I very much liked his stories about Romans and Norsemen, which seemed absolutely authentic, even with the fantasy elements. He always knew what he was talking about.
Alas, RIP.
Some of his stories I had a hard time really getting into; I blame my own lack of military experience. I wasn’t there.
And yet somehow, the Drake stories that really grabbed me, that I reread again and again and again, were the novels of the Reaches trilogy. Those bloody tales of slaughter, tyranny, fanaticism, broken killers and fast friends are somehow some of my favorite books of all time.
First read hammers slammers not long after it’s release. I loved his writing, great author.
Yet another great…
I could cry. Authors were some of the first figures of parasocial fame (you *feel* you have a relationship) they may be entirely one sided, but they are real on that side – and so we all grieve them.
GoodThoughts(tm) to his family and friends
I discovered Hammers Slammers in high school. Read and reread my copies thru my time in the Army and later. Should be required reading. See ya in Valhalla Dave!
So sorry to hear of this. Condolences to friends, family and the SF world.
A great writer of military SF. The RCN series of novels are my favorites of his.
True sad for my own and everyone’s loss. He has filled my life with great memories and thoughts for decades. Had true gift to find the interesting historical aspects in many facets of history and sculpt those stories into something relatable and interesting.
Will be greatly missed if it wasn’t for drake,Weber, Ringo and kuztman I have read and enjoyed every book that has been written by them in some way I wish for the days of proof readers as that would have been my dream job,working for Tor and bean books
With shock and heavy heart I read of Dave’s passing. His wealth of knowledge and understanding of ancient writings (Greek, Norse and other rare tomes) gave us some of the most unique literature of our age. In an email to him only a few short months ago I expressed how his characters influenced my thinking and awareness of our world today. Onward to Valhalla!
Salve atque vale, Dave. May you be resting in true peace, finally able to lay down the last of the burden you bore since Vietnam. You shone light into dark places, and your kind of honesty, though painful at times, will be missed.
I met him a few times at various conventions. Enjoyed his stories and, more the man. He will be missed.
Rick Katze
He once exchanged emails with me when I was trying to be a writer. I said his work was brilliant but he denied it. Such a generous and humble guy. And yes, Mr. Drake, your work certainly was brilliant. Rest in blessed memory eternal.
I encountered David Drake via Redliners, and it’s still my favorite. Some of his other stuff wasn’t up to the same standard, but it was all good!
RIP
David’s passing is as sad to me in my late 60’s as the other literary superstars of my youth and adulthood. In his genre as great a writer as ever put :pen to paper” as there has been. He will be greatly missed.
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A true legend. I think that I’ve read most of his books. Most were good, but some were awesome and shaped what I like to read today and got me interested into history and English Lit in college. RIP and thank you for so many new doorways.
#7 For some readers including the first sale who accepted Forever War for publication in part for including a happy ending the tone may be so very different as between Joe Haldeman and David Drake. Other readers may find not so much.
David Drake did work very hard indeed to say to some readers that they, and we, are not alone.
Interesting also to notice who among fantasy writers gets a national level notice of death and who doesn’t.
I’d pay for a guide to odd bits in Drake’s writings including bits from Vietnam such as the white mice allusion [Micky Mouse style white gloves] and from his travels and jokes. Like Mr. Heinlein Mr. Drake attached considerable weight to names but some of them like Harry Warner as a character are pure somewhat insider jokes while Bantry from the RCN series is a real place.
“The flip side was that the distinction between Not Blackhorse (David Drake’s tank cavalry unit) and Enemy got blurred. We didn’t view our job as winning hearts and minds: we were there to kill people and then go home. And we didn’t much care about the cost of victory as long as somebody else was paying it.
That’s something civilians should consider long and hard before they send tanks off to make policy. Because I can tell you from personal experience, it isn’t something that the tankers themselves are likely to worry about.”
This is a common theme in his stories, and it’s definitely something that more leaders should keep in mind.
Just heard this very sad news about David Drake’s passing! David’s stories were some of the most authentic expressions of the effects of war I’ve ever read! Thank you David for making real for us all the things you experienced! Prayer and comfort to the family!
#26 – understand your point, but mine was more that Haldeman is much grimmer in general to my reading than Drake.
Drake’s Vietnam expy is built around an (essentially) armored regiment of (mostly) professional soldiers who live, essentially, “normal” human live spans, with all that implies in terms of technical and social elements of his work, and there’s (generally) some sort of point to his imaginary conflicts; Haldeman’s are drafted assault infantry who live (essentially) extended lives, and his “war” is simply horror piled on tragedy on mistake, with no point at all.
Drake was a tanker, Haldeman was a combat engineer; one could suggest that explains much.
I suppose differences in experience do manifest in differences in description. That said the explicit description of the Vietnam War in Arc Riders is quite as grim as anything by Haldeman anyplace. Each writer could and did do horror.
Frex for Mr. Haldeman writing of his own The Hemingway Hoax:
Frex for Mr. Drake
Still taking Mr. Scalzi and especially
as the standard for military perspective, especially as compared to say Dr. Pournelle, guarantees a different perspective than mine. Differences in awards might be interpreted to reflect differences in writing apeal but not in my view in quality. When Mr. Drake started using Morseth as more than an incidental character name I gave him an A.G. Russell/Morseth knife as a reader’s choice award.
Then again I could argue that Mr. Gibson is right. Mr. Haldeman wrote a war story; Mr. Drake wrote soldier’s stories.
Quite possibly a major difference in influence was Mr. Haldeman’s experience with a command authority that almost got him uselessly killed by what was either a dud pile or a variety of EOD – I’ve heard both ways.
Mr. Drake respected the command structure of the 11th ACV; not lightly earned. The Drake family has suggested donations to the benevolent fund for the Black Horse in lieu of flowers.
As I recall it was first said that Mr. Haldeman was the sole survivor of his combat engineering detachment although that was later amended to say they all lost touch as individuals were scattered for treatment. That may be in part cause for some effect.
Esprit de l’escalier. I don’t doubt “that Haldeman is much grimmer in general to [your] reading than Drake.” For my money Mr. Drake’s writings are often misunderstood as e.g. the infamous Platt — even sometimes on this very board. To quote Mr. Drake:
Mr. Haldeman earned his awards and admiration. Mr. Drake earned I think more than he received. Whatever defects Mr. Drake showed in his writing did not include obscuring the grim.