Galactic Derelict
 First edition | |
| Author | Andre Norton |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Ed Emshwiller |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Time Traders |
| Genre | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | World Publishing Company |
Publication date | 1959 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover, paperback, and electronic) |
| Pages | 225 pp |
| Preceded by | The Time Traders |
| Followed by | The Defiant Agents |
Galactic Derelict is the second novel in The Time Traders series by Andre Norton. It was first published in 1959, and as of 2012, had been reprinted in eight editions (with cover changes only). It is part of Norton's Forerunner universe.
Galactic Derelict continues the series’ premise, an encounter between Western heroes and a mysterious alien race that has used time travel to alter Earth. This novel shifts between present day and the time of Folsom Man, some 10,000 years ago.
Kirkus Reviews comments for this novel “Andre Norton has no peer in his (sic) chosen field of science fiction for teenagers…[here] there’s a hint of racial antagonism.” (The novel has pointed comments about racism against American Indians.)
Plot
Travis Fox encounters the heroes of the previous story so near to the beginning of a secret mission that he is taken along. While looking for a crashed alien ship in the past, they discover another still in working condition. During an emergency, they take shelter inside, but are trapped when the ship leaves on an automatic course. The craft’s final destination is a ruined city of an advanced civilization. They meet primitive locals who want them to explain the abandoned artifacts, and whom they help with weapons to defend themselves. Finding technology similar to the ship’s, they experiment on it, and are able to direct the ship back to Earth.
Novels in the series
- The Time Traders (1958)
- Galactic Derelict (1959)
- The Defiant Agents (1962)
- Key Out of Time (1963)
- Firehand (1994) (with Pauline M Griffin)
- Echoes in Time (1999) (with Sherwood Smith)
- Atlantis Endgame (2002) (with Sherwood Smith)
Associated sources
Project Gutenberg has two free novels from this series: