Key Out of Time

Key Out of Time, published in 1963, is part of Andre Norton’s Time Traders series, blending science fiction with time travel and planetary exploration. Protagonists Ross Murdock and Gordon Ashe are stranded on an alien planet, where past and future collide, and they must survive ancient dangers while navigating timelines. Norton’s adventure-rich worldbuilding, fast pacing, and themes of cultural contact and survival mark this as a standout in mid-century science fiction.