The Defiant Agents

The Defiant Agents

First edition
Author	Andre Norton
Cover artist	Ed Emshwiller
Language	English
Series	The Time Traders
Genre	Science fiction novel
Publisher	World Publishing Company
Publication date	1962
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardcover, paperback, and electronic)
Pages	224 pp
Preceded by	Galactic Derelict
Followed by	Key Out of Time

The Defiant Agents is the third novel in The Time Traders series by Andre Norton. It was first published in 1962, and as of 2012, had been reprinted in ten editions with cover changes, as well as twice in a combined edition with Key Out of Time. It is part of Norton's Forerunner universe.

The Defiant Agents continues the series’ premise, an encounter between Western heroes, and the Russian Communists, and a mysterious alien race that has used time travel to alter Earth. Most interaction in this novel is in an American Indian-like setting.

Kirkus Reviews comments, “Andre Norton, a polished writer of science fiction, weaves [her] outlandish fare in patterns intricate enough to attract the most devoted addict. Do not try to contrive a consistent political allegory out of [her] flight into fantasy. This is pure science fiction....”

Plot

The alien library discovered in the previous novel proved to have locations of many unknown worlds. Finding the secure location of planet Topaz compromised, Apache operatives, including Travis Fox, are sent on an emergency trip by Earth with a mind-altering machine, Redax, that crash lands. They discover they have the ability to communicate with the coyotes, but have no idea why they are there. They encounter Russians who have undergone similar treatment, and similarly lacking their memories, who were taken from the days of the Mongolian Golden Horde. With this common experience, they join forces against the Russians doing mind-control. Memories gradually return. After finding alien technology too dangerous for the Russians to have, Travis seeks allies. They lay a successful trap for the Russian Redax controllers. Defeating the source of Russian control, the allies agree to guard the alien technology from outsiders in the years to come.

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

Three novels from this series are available free from Project Gutenberg:

• The Time Traders
• The Defiant Agents
• Key Out of Time
• The Defiant Agents public domain audiobook at LibriVox

References

• Open Library information for first edition.