David Drake is an American science fiction and fantasy author known for military fiction. His popular works include the widely read Hammer's Slammers series, featuring realistic portrayals of soldiers and combat.
If you enjoy reading books by David Drake then you might also like the following authors:
John Ringo is an author known for gritty military science fiction with strong characters and realistic combat scenes. Fans of David Drake’s action-packed style often enjoy Ringo’s series, especially A Hymn Before Battle.
This novel introduces us to humanity’s alliance with advanced alien species against a vicious, galaxy-threatening enemy known as the Posleen. It follows Michael O’Neal, an ordinary soldier who quickly becomes central to Earth’s desperate fight.
The book mixes intense ground combat, tactical realism, and the dramatic stakes readers appreciate in Drake’s work. If you’re drawn to military action, complex characters, and tightly-paced storytelling, Ringo delivers exactly that.
Books by David Weber offer military science fiction with detailed battles, strategic complexity, and deep character development. If you appreciate David Drake’s blend of military tactics and engaging storytelling, you might enjoy Weber’s On Basilisk Station.
The novel follows Honor Harrington, a capable starship captain assigned to a remote system called Basilisk Station.
With limited resources and little support, Honor must defend her post and uphold her mission against smugglers, political intrigue, and enemy forces intent on confrontation. Weber showcases tactical depth and illuminating character interactions.
Fans of Drake’s work will find Weber’s universe equally vivid and immersive.
Larry Niven is a prominent science fiction author known for imaginative worlds, intriguing technologies, and fascinating alien cultures. If you enjoy David Drake’s action-packed narratives and futuristic military settings, you might appreciate Niven’s novel Ringworld.
In this book, a team composed of two humans and two aliens explores a giant artificial ring built around a distant star. The immense structure is full of mysteries, struggling civilizations, and advanced, forgotten technologies.
Niven offers a vivid journey that blends exploration, wonder, and suspense. Fans of Drake’s engaging storytelling and vibrant conflicts will find much to admire in Ringworld.
Books by Kevin J. Anderson often blend thrilling space battles, military strategy, and imaginative worlds, appealing to readers who enjoy David Drake’s action-packed sci-fi adventures. In his novel Hidden Empire, humans have begun colonization across the stars.
The story follows humanity’s struggle for freedom against a ruthless alien race known as the Klikiss.
It captures the intensity of interstellar war, political intrigue, and personal sacrifice through the eyes of compelling characters tasked to protect humanity’s survival at any cost.
Fans of military-themed science fiction and expansive storytelling will find Hidden Empire a captivating start to Anderson’s epic Saga of Seven Suns series.
Readers who enjoy David Drake’s military science fiction and alternate history may also appreciate Eric Flint. Flint is known for blending vivid historical research with science fiction scenarios, especially in his popular novel 1632.
In this book, a small town in modern West Virginia suddenly finds itself transported back in time to Germany during the upheaval of the Thirty Years’ War.
The residents must navigate the challenges of the violent past using their modern knowledge and skills to survive, reshape history, and build unexpected alliances.
Flint creates action-driven plots and complex characters that feel genuine and relatable, making 1632 an engaging read for anyone fond of imaginative historical scenarios mixed with military storytelling.
S. M. Stirling writes science fiction and alternate history novels filled with intense action and detailed world-building. If you enjoyed David Drake’s stories of military strategy and immersive combat scenes, Stirling might draw you into another captivating reading experience.
In Dies the Fire, he imagines a world suddenly stripped of all modern technology after a mysterious global event. Society collapses into chaos, and the survivors struggle to adapt and build a new life amidst violence and hope.
Stirling’s characters face danger and moral dilemmas that make each twist and turn memorable. Fans of Drake’s gritty stories focusing on realism and survival may appreciate the conflicts and the vividly imagined settings Stirling provides.
Books by C.J. Cherryh often blend military tension, complex diplomacy, and deep character focus, elements that readers of David Drake may appreciate.
Cherryh’s novel Downbelow Station tells an intense, tightly-woven story set during a tense conflict between Earth’s government and distant human colonies. Pell Station orbits a critical planet named Downbelow, marking the boundary between rival forces.
In this pressured situation, the station becomes the stage for high-stakes negotiations, hidden agendas, and gripping confrontations.
Cherryh’s detailed characters and vivid portrayal of political intrigue create an immersive experience that resonates with fans accustomed to Drake’s military sci-fi adventures.
Books by Jack Campbell, especially his The Lost Fleet: Dauntless, offer engaging military sci-fi adventures. Campbell himself is a former naval officer, and his experience lends authenticity and vivid detail to his space battles and strategic challenges.
Dauntless centers around Captain John Black Jack Geary, a hero revived after a century in cryogenic sleep to command a fleet on the verge of defeat. He must contend with outdated tactics, political intrigue, and mistrust from crew members who see him more as legend than man.
If you enjoy the realistic military detail and strategic depth in David Drake’s stories, Jack Campbell provides a similar approach with fresh storylines and memorable characters.
Readers who enjoy military science fiction by David Drake may appreciate the collaborative works of Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven. This writing duo brings together Pournelle’s military strategy and realistic combat scenes and Niven’s imaginative science fiction settings.
A good starting point is their book The Mote in God’s Eye. This novel explores mankind’s first contact with an alien civilization, presenting gripping diplomatic tension and carefully depicted military tactics.
Humans discover an alien species, the Moties, who seem welcoming but harbor mysterious secrets. As diplomatic and military teams try to grasp Motie culture, misunderstandings and hidden agendas create suspense and intrigue that military science fiction fans typically seek.
If you enjoy the military science fiction of David Drake, you might also appreciate Timothy Zahn. Zahn is best known for his well-crafted storytelling and smart, strategic plotlines. In his novel Cobra, humanity must fight back against a ruthless alien invasion.
To stand a chance against their powerful enemy, scientists engineer specialized soldiers called Cobras—fighters implanted with hidden weaponry and enhanced reflexes.
Jonny Moreau becomes one of these bio-engineered warriors and is soon faced with struggles both on the battlefield and at home, where the costs of war linger long after the fighting ends. The book explores themes of duty and identity and brings plenty of action into the mix.
If you enjoy military sci-fi by David Drake, Robert A. Heinlein might catch your interest too. Heinlein’s stories mix strong military themes with imaginative science fiction.
One of his classics, Starship Troopers, follows Johnny Rico as he moves from being a novice recruit to fighting brutal interstellar wars. The battles are tense and vivid, and the book explores duty, camaraderie, and the realities soldiers face.
Heinlein captures military tactics and experiences with authenticity, making it a favorite among readers who appreciate David Drake’s style.
Books by Frank Herbert offer readers richly imagined worlds filled with complex characters and thoughtful storytelling. If you like David Drake’s military science fiction, then Herbert’s Dune might capture your interest.
Set on the perilous desert planet Arrakis, the book follows young nobleman Paul Atreides as he confronts political intrigue and life-threatening conflicts. Herbert creates a vivid tapestry of noble families, secret societies, and dangerous ecosystems.
His focus on strategy, politics, and detailed world-building could appeal to readers familiar with Drake’s style. The struggle for control over Arrakis’s precious spice, immense sandworms, and prophecy woven through the narrative make Dune an epic and enduring read.
If you enjoy David Drake’s military science fiction and space adventures, you might appreciate H. Beam Piper. Piper combines action, history, and futuristic concepts in his storytelling.
One of his notable works, Little Fuzzy, introduces readers to planet Zarathustra, rich in valuable resources and inhabited by adorable, intelligent creatures known as Fuzzies. The story focuses on Jack Holloway, a lone prospector who discovers these small beings.
The discovery sparks intense debates over what defines intelligence and who deserves legal rights. Piper draws conflict that explores the questions of ethics and corporate greed, set against a vivid, adventurous backdrop on an alien world.
Orson Scott Card is a science fiction author known for intense character-driven stories and thought-provoking conflicts. If you enjoy military sci-fi writing from authors like David Drake, Card’s Ender’s Game might capture your imagination.
This story introduces Ender Wiggin, a highly gifted child recruited into an elite military school at a young age.
With humanity in a desperate war against an alien species known as the Formics, Ender must navigate grueling military training, complex battles, and moral dilemmas at every turn.
The choices Ender faces—between necessary victory and personal cost—keep the reader engaged till the final revelation.
If you enjoy David Drake’s military sci-fi novels that blend detailed tactical combat with strong characters, you’ll probably find Michael Stackpole’s work appealing too. Stackpole is known for crafting vivid battle scenes and engaging heroes.
His book Rogue Squadron, set in the Star Wars universe, tells the story of daring Rebel pilots led by Wedge Antilles. The pilots tackle dangerous missions against remnants of the Empire, working together in tight-knit units under high pressure.
Stackpole delivers thrilling dogfights and strategic combat, while exploring his characters’ struggles and friendships. If you like intense and fast-paced military stories set against a space-opera backdrop, Rogue Squadron may be a good choice for your next read.