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 School of Law 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 Pittsboro, 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,blank">http://david-drake.com/lightnings.html 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 2006, the series has seven books published, with two more planned to finish.
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 [his] 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,http://david-drake.com/north.html he has generally explained the background to each book in an afterword or preface. Additionally, Drake's plots frequently center around a clash of political systems. Drake's heroes are usually right-leaning military personnel with individualistic, iconoclastic personalities. Bureaucrats, professors, politicians, religious fanatics and political leftists serve as enemies.
Some of Drake's works are available for free download in the Baen Free Library.
David Drake (born 1963 or 1964) is an American playwright, actor and author. Best-known as the author and original performer of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me, for which he received a Village Voice Obie Award.
Born as David Drakula, and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, he later began going by David Drake. He has contributed articles to the Advocate, Theater-Week, and Details. One of the longest one-actor plays in Off Broadway history, Larry Kramer has received over thirty productions in nearly a dozen countries, and the published version was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award.
In 2000 Drake starred in a movie version of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me. The movie was directed by Tim Kirkman.
David Drake has appeared in the feature film Philadelphia and on the stage in Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, Pageant, The Boys in the Band, and A Language of Their Own.
He now lives in New York City.
His family claims descent from Hungarian relatives of Vlad Tepes Dracul, the historical figure on whom Dracula was based.
Won a Village Voice Obie award for the stage version of "The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me."
Other theater awards and nominations for "The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me" include 1994 Dramalogue Award for "Outstanding Solo Performance," and a Robbie Stevens Frontiers Magazine Award for the same. Nominations include a 1994 LA Weekly Theater Awards and a Lambda Literary Award nomination for "Best New Play of 1994" (published by Anchor Books).
