Category Archives: Book Series
The Serpent
Publication by Baen July 6, 2021 The Serpent is based on the legendry of King Arthur as were The Spark and The Storm. Much of the action is adapted from the romances of Chretien de Troyes and the Prose Lancelot. … Continue reading
To Clear Away the Shadows
Baen, June 2019 in the RCN Series ADVENTURES BEYOND THE EDGE OF THE KNOWN UNIVERSE There were earlier examples, but the 19th century was the great age of scientific exploration. Wealthy amateurs sometimes funded their own expeditions, most were carried … Continue reading
The Storm
From Baen January 2019 in the Time of Heroes series: APPROACHING THE TERRITORY The tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table lend themselves well to realistic, modern treatment. Tennyson’s Idylls of the King did this effectively … Continue reading
The Spark
A new novel released by Baen November 2017 in a new series: Time of Heroes. In the time of the Ancients the universe was united, but even what still survives is shattered into enclaves–some tiny, some ruined, some wild. Into … Continue reading
Book Series
Hammer’s Slammers The Hammer’s Slammers series of Military SF stories and novels focus on a mercenary armored regiment in the 30th century. I based the fiction on my experience in 1970 with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Viet-Nam and … Continue reading
Death’s Bright Day
This is the Steve Hickman cover painting for DEATH’S BRIGHT DAY, the 11th RCN space opera. I’ve really liked the feel of Steve’s work for this series, and I particularly like this one. I’m very fortunate in my cover art. … Continue reading
Air and Darkness
Air and Darkness is the fourth and final book in the Books of the Elements Series. It will be available November 2015 from Tor. The setting of this novel and of the series, The Books of the Elements, is the … Continue reading
Into the Maelstrom
Into the Maelstrom is the second of The Citizen Trilogy which John Lambshead is writing from my outlines using the life of George Washington as a model. The cover is by Dave Seeley. I’m quite pleased with the book and … Continue reading
The General Series (Raj Whitehall)
Various writers–Steve Stirling, Eric Flint, and Tony Daniel–developed the novels from Dave’s outlines. The General series began with The Forge in 1991 and has now reached ten volumes. Using the life of the Byzantine general Belisarius as my matrix, I … Continue reading
The Story Behind Monsters of the Earth
Written for Upcoming4.Me [online magazine] Posted 30 October 2013. The Books of the Elements combine Roman culture with regional myths, but I don’t mean regional religions. I’m building on African backgrounds and folktales in Monsters of the Earth, but there … Continue reading
The Sea Without a Shore
The Sea Without a Shore involves Daniel Leary and Adele Mundy as private citizens on a mining colony which is in rebellion against its homeworld. Their missions are to help unofficial interests on Cinnabar–but since on the one hand those … Continue reading
Monsters of the Earth
Monsters of the Earth, the third of the Books of the Elements, will be out in September 2013 from Tor. AUTHOR’S NOTE I intend individual volumes in The Books of the Elements to be self-standing, (though I also hope that … Continue reading
The Road of Danger
AUTHOR’S NOTE I use both English and Metric weights and measures in the RCN series to suggest the range of diversity which I believe would exist in a galaxy-spanning civilization. I do not, however, expect either actual system to be … Continue reading
Voyage Across the Stars
“Two incandescent novels of journey and battle across the stars set in David Drake’s best-selling Hammer’s Slammers universe together for the first time in one mega-volume.” –Amazon Book Description. Baen’s combined volume due out January 3 2012 reprints Cross the Stars … Continue reading
Another Method of Plotting
Written for the Tor/Forge July 2011 Newsletter Last year when Tor asked me for an essay to accompany the publication of The Legions of Fire, the first of my Books of the Elements fantasy series, I explained that riding a … Continue reading
Into the Hinterlands
Baen Books has posted a Teacher’s Guide for Into the Hinterlands. Into the Hinterlands–the first book in The Citizen Series– is a space opera built around cultural situations very similar to those obtained during the youth of George Washington. John … Continue reading
Out of the Waters
Out of the Waters is the second in the Books of the Elements fantasy series from Tor. AUTHOR’S NOTE Out of the Waters is set in a fictional city named Carce (pronounced CAR-see). Things occur in this novel and in … Continue reading
Has there been any gaming interests in your books?
Yes, in several fashions. Mayfair Games brought out a Hammer’s Slammers board game back in the ’80s. Intracorps licensed electronic game rights to Hammer’s Slammers in the mid ’90s. They got seriously into development, but they were overextended and went … Continue reading
What’s the connection between the novella A Grand Tour and the RCN series?
Dave Weber asked me for a novella for his first shared universe anthology set in the Honor Harrington universe (Worlds of Honor). I’d been thinking of doing a series of space operas based on Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series, so I … Continue reading
What’s the relationship between Joachim Steuben of the Hammer series and Johann Vierziger?
Vierziger is named in a manner of speaking after the Mifune character in Sanjuro where he takes an obvious alias from the chrysanthemum trees growing in the garden. My intent was to do something that had no obvious natural explanation … Continue reading
Are you going to write more Hammer stories?
I’ll probably do more, but I don’t have current plans.
Hammer’s Slammers Wargaming Handbooks
Hammer’s Slammers Handbooks In 2010 Pireme Publishing launched the definitive guide to wargaming the characters and actions in David Drake’s Hammer’s Slammers books. Hammer’s Slammers – The Crucible contains: • A unique Slammers story introduction by David Drake • Character … Continue reading
The Motorcycle Way to Complex Plotting
Written for the Tor/Forge May 2010 Newsletter THE MOTORCYCLE WAY TO COMPLEX PLOTTING Writers use various tools in their work. One of my tools is my motorcycle. Well, plural: my motorcycles. Bikers learn quickly that if they expect to … Continue reading
The Complete Hammer’s Slammers – Volume 2
This volume features the first four Hammer Novels: At Any Price (1985), Counting the Cost (1987), Rolling Hot (1989) and The Warrior (1991) as well as new artwork and new interstitial material. Volume 2 also features an Introduction by David … Continue reading
The Warrior
The Warrior. Hammer’s Slammers Series. 1991, Riverdale, NY: Baen. 275 p. 0671720589 (pb). $4.95 ——— with Counting the Cost (audiobook), Audible.com, 2011 includes two pieces: “The Warrior” also available in: ————– Caught in the Crossfire. 1998, Riverdale, NY: Baen ————– … Continue reading
Counting the Cost
Counting the Cost. Hammer’s Slammers Series. 1987, Riverdale, NY: Baen. 267 p. 0671653555. $3.50. Also available in: ————– Caught in the Crossfire. 1998, Riverdale, NY: Baen. ————– The Complete Hammer’s Slammers, v.2. 2006, San Francisco, CA: Night Shade Books. ————– … Continue reading
At Any Price
1985, Riverdale, NY: Baen. 0-671-55978-8 ——- with Rolling Hot (audiobook), Audible.com, 2011 Contains three short pieces: “At Any Price” also available in: ————– The Butcher’s Bill. 1998, Riverdale, NY: Baen. ————– The Complete Hammer’s Slammers, v.2. 2006, San Francisco, CA: Night … Continue reading
Cross the Stars
AFTERWORD: WHERE I GET MY IDEAS If you decide to write about far-famed Achilles, make him active, hot-tempered, inexorable, and fierce; let him deny that laws were made for him, let him think his sword rules all. –Horace, The Art … Continue reading
The Books of the Elements
updated 30 April 2014 The Books of the Elements are a series of four fantasy novels set in a city and empire named Carce, which very similar to that of Rome in 30 ad. I wanted to create a setting … Continue reading
RCN Series
WITH THE LIGHTNINGS (Baen/1998) LT LEARY, COMMANDING (Baen/2000) THE FAR SIDE OF THE STARS (Baen/2003) THE WAY TO GLORY (Baen/2005) SOME GOLDEN HARBOR (Baen/2006) WHEN THE TIDE RISES (Baen/2008) IN THE STORMY RED SKY (Baen/2009) WHAT DISTANT DEEPS (Baen/2010) THE … Continue reading
Hammer’s Slammers Series
The Hammer’s Slammers series of Military SF stories and novels focus on a mercenary armored regiment in the 30th century. I based the fiction on my experience in 1970 with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Viet-Nam and Cambodia. HAMMER’S … Continue reading
What Distant Deeps
I’ll start out with what in my days as a lawyer we would call boilerplate: I use both English and Metric weights and measures in the RCN series to suggest the range of diversity which I believe would exist in … Continue reading
The Legions of Fire
The Legions of Fire is the first of a quartet of fantasies in The Books of the Elements series from Tor. First and foremost, The Legions of Fire is a novel about a fictional city named Carce (pronounced CAR-see) and … Continue reading
Belisarius Series
Eric Flint wrote these books from Dave’s plot outlines: An Oblique Approach. 1998, Baen. In the Heart of Darkness. 1998, Baen. Destiny’s Shield. 1999, Baen. Fortune’s Stroke. 2000, Baen. The Tide of Victory. . 2001, Baen. The Dance of Time. 2006, Baen.
Mongoose Role Playing Game
Available from Mongoose Publishing (June 2009) as part of their Traveller Series of games.
In the Stormy Red Sky
I learned with the first book of the RCN series, With the Lightnings, that I have to explain that I use English and Metric weights and measures as a convenience to readers, not because I think the same systems will … Continue reading
Five Firebases
Dave’s original introduction to the Hammer’s Slammers Role-Playing game rules for Mongoose. The version as printed drops the title and was edited for length. FIVE FIREBASES I was very pleased when I got the materials for the Hammer’s Slammers role-playing … Continue reading
When the Tide Rises
The genesis of my RCN novels was Patrick O’Brian’s wonderful Aubrey/Maturin series, set during and after the Napoleonic Wars. It therefore won’t surprise many of you to find a number of plot points common to O’Brian’s last novels and When … Continue reading
Drake’s Hammer
Miniature wargamer Mike Buonagurio created a blower command tank named Drake’s Hammer, using the head from one of the rare Drake figures from Ground Zero Games attached to a Slammers tank commander body.
Some Golden Harbor
I’ve based the setting of Some Golden Harbor on political and military events taking place during the early 5th century BC in Southern Italy (Aricia, Cumae, and the Etruscan federation). All right, that’s a little obscure even for me, but … Continue reading
The Complete Hammer’s Slammers – Volume 1
This volume features all of the Hammer’s Slammer short fiction, as well as all of the interstitial material from the original Slammers collection, new artwork and new interstitial material. Volume 1 also features an introduction by Gene Wolfe and an original Slammers story, … Continue reading
The Sharp End
THE SHARP END is a book many people tell me is one of their favorites; they’re generally surprised to learn I don’t have a high opinion of it myself. I’ve given various reasons for my ill feelings, all of them … Continue reading
The Way to Glory
The general political background of the RCN series is that of Europe in the mid-18th century, with admixtures of late-Republican Rome. (There’s a surprising degree of congruence between British and Roman society in those periods.) Major plot elements in The … Continue reading
Hammer’s Slammers Gaming, England 2004
Pictures from Salute in 2004, a wargames show held by the South London Warlords. Accompanies England Travel Narrative
The Far Side of the Stars
One of the problems when you’re writing of either the past or the future is ‘How much should I translate?’ I don’t mean simply language: there’s a whole complex of things that people within any society take for granted but … Continue reading
Lt. Leary Commanding
I’m using English and Metric weights and measures throughout Lt. Leary Commanding, as I did in With the Lightnings. I wouldn’t bother mentioning this, but the decision seems to concern some people. I’m doing it for the same reason that … Continue reading