David A. Drake (September 24, 1945 – December 10, 2023) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy literature.

A Vietnam War veteran, he worked as a lawyer before becoming a writer in the military science fiction genre.

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 when he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served as an enlisted interrogator with the 11th Armored Cavalry (the Black Horse Regiment) in Vietnam and Cambodia.

[7] In 1997, Drake began his largest fantasy series, Lord of the Isles, using elements of Sumerian religion and medieval technology.