Customer Reviews

Time Traders: The Time Traders & Galactic Derelict

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3 star:		(1)
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A reprint of the 1958 edition, this was like finding an old friend. I first read this in 1958 or 1959, when I was about 10 years old. I remembered snippets of it ever since and wondered if I would ever come across it again. The story is just as fresh as it was then. Indeed, I looked for some disclaimer that it had been updated, but found none. Other than the lack of scientific explanation underlying key aspects of the plot, thus dating its style somewhat, this was a remarkably prescient piece. And far from sophomoric in the bad sense, it appeals to the kid still inside me. I enjoyed it as much now as I did when I was 10. It has time travel, Russians, aliens, prehistoric tribes, space ships, personal struggle and triumph...what more can you want in a science fiction yarn? From over 40 years ago, it still rates 5 stars!

Here is an omnibus of the first two time agent novels, _The Time Traders_ (1958) and _Galactic Derelict_ (1959). It's a series of stories that was one of Norton's best. But these novels are revisions of the originals. They are intended to be more in keeping with current developments in technology, our changing social values, our more liberated look at women, and our post Cold-War relationship with Russia. (In the originals, the villains are the "Reds".) I rather like the originals, even though I readily admit that much of the material, especially the anti-Communist rhetoric, is a bit dated. But you may prefer versions that are more up-to-date.

The basic premise is this: America and Russia have both developd time travel. They discover that during the time of prehistoric man, a fleet of spaceships manned by aliens known as Baldies landed on Earth. Some were wrecked and abandoned. There is now a race between time-agents to salvage the ships for equipment and ideas that will allow each country to make its way into space. And so it happens. But not always in the way that was intended...

The books are decent sf adventures. But you should be aware that they are _not_ the original versions.

there are actually 2 books here : Time Traders from 58
and Galactic Derelict from 59 (sequal). both books are kind of infantile SF books, representing the clasic age of the ganre. it has a very entertaing plot with aleans back to the past, and the back to the feuture plot, and then flying in rockets to sidtant planet, meeting bad russians, and aleans, and monsters. in short a full plot of 5 spielberg movies in one cover -
because the story is so plane, the figures are one dimentional, the americans are always the best and humane, while the russian and the aliens are always bad or stupied. and the writing style is not something to cover on it.

andre norton won the SWFA grand master aword in 83. i think this was to show gratitude for his persistance, but judging from this books, i don't think he truely deserved it.