David Drake is best known for his "military" science fiction, most notably the "Hammer's Slammers" series. He has also written fantasy and science fiction novels with historical settings, most notably in Imperial Rome and the Dark Ages. His work is informed by his experiences in the war in Vietnam, as well as his readings in history and literature. He has drawn on sources such as Icelandic sagas (the "Northworld" series), Greek mythology (Cross the Stars, the Voyage), and Elizabethan history.