David Drake

Cover art: David Mattingly

The question I’m most often asked about WITH THE LIGHTNINGS is, ‘Who the hell is Cassian’? Cassian is a mistake; or rather, a series of mistakes.

I used ‘Leary Daniels’ as the name of the hero of my untitled novel and was proceeding happily with the writing until Jim Baen called. He very strongly didn’t like the name Leary.

We had a discussion. I did like the name Leary Daniels, but I need a better reason than that before I go to the wall with my publisher, editor, and friend. continue reading…

What’s your best book?

Again, that’s a matter of definition. Personally I’d say Redliners, but that’s not a book for everybody. It’s a very tough story about war and redemption. With the Lightnings–a space opera–and the Isles Series, my Tolkienesque fantasies, have characters that more people are going to find attractive. I think maybe writing Redliners did something positive for me. At any rate, it probably isn’t chance that the books I’ve written after that one are–I won’t say softer, exactly, but peopled with characters who haven’t done so many things that they can’t forgive themselves for.