NC Author Rebuilds A Shattered Civilization In ‘The Spark’

WUNC | By Frank Stasio,

Published December 13, 2017 at 12:16 PM EST

Society is split apart into nodes, tucked into different corners of the world and connected by a common road. It is a land where chaos rules, but with the help of the ‘Champions,’ civilization is taking hold once again.

A conversation with author David Drake.

This world was conjured up by Pittsboro-based science fiction writer David Drake in his new book “The Spark” (Baen/ 2017).

Host Frank Stasio speaks with Drake about the futuristic Arthurian retelling.

Drake also talks about his time in the military; his experience working as an attorney in Chapel Hill; and how writing is his weapon in his continued fight against post-traumatic stress disorder.

Frank Stasio

Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.

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Laura Pellicer

Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.

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