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The Mind Traders
The Mind Traders
143 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
1 person is currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
J. Hunter Holly
21 books17 followersJoan Carol Holly was a science fiction author who wrote under the pseudonym J. Hunter Holly in the late 1950s until the mid-1970s. Joan Holly also contributed stories for Roger Elwood's series of books and sci-fi magazines, under both her real name(Joan C. Holly) and her pseudonym (Joan Hunter Holly).
Joan died of lung cancer in 1982.
Joan died of lung cancer in 1982.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 5, 2025
Check out my full, spoiler free, video review HERE.
Morgan is an agent for an Earth organization that polices the world. Rigan’s are telepathic aliens from Riga but they and humans have mostly stayed out of each other’s way. After thousands of humans started going missing on Earth, Morgan is sent to Riga to find out what is going on. He is partnered with a Rigan named Jael. It is sort of a SF detective story that is fast paced and entertaining. Holly’s writing is really good after the setup, and she really gets into this alien society and their family dynamics. Not a well known SF writer but worth checking out.
Morgan is an agent for an Earth organization that polices the world. Rigan’s are telepathic aliens from Riga but they and humans have mostly stayed out of each other’s way. After thousands of humans started going missing on Earth, Morgan is sent to Riga to find out what is going on. He is partnered with a Rigan named Jael. It is sort of a SF detective story that is fast paced and entertaining. Holly’s writing is really good after the setup, and she really gets into this alien society and their family dynamics. Not a well known SF writer but worth checking out.
August 4, 2019
This book was a joy to read. A mix of science fiction with a sort of buddy cop thing going on. Unlike a lot of science fiction the reader is gently introduced to a new world through the eyes of the main character Detective Morgan Sellers.
He is sent to the planet of the only alien race that earth is aware of to search for thousands of humans who have disappeared. The Rigen people are telepathic and have a very different society with power based on the number of minds a person can control. As a human Morgan is completely defenceless, which is why a Rigen called Jael is assigned to be his team mate and partner.
There is so much I loved about this book I can’t get it out. Their arguments and the gradual building of grudging respect, the unusual family dynamic that started off as horrifying but became something warm. Morgan was wonderful as despite being completely helpless in such a society (and knowing it) he was still full of drive and a hundred plans to find his people and get them home.
A fantastic read and a very lucky find for me, tucked away in a second hand book shop in Cornwall.
He is sent to the planet of the only alien race that earth is aware of to search for thousands of humans who have disappeared. The Rigen people are telepathic and have a very different society with power based on the number of minds a person can control. As a human Morgan is completely defenceless, which is why a Rigen called Jael is assigned to be his team mate and partner.
There is so much I loved about this book I can’t get it out. Their arguments and the gradual building of grudging respect, the unusual family dynamic that started off as horrifying but became something warm. Morgan was wonderful as despite being completely helpless in such a society (and knowing it) he was still full of drive and a hundred plans to find his people and get them home.
A fantastic read and a very lucky find for me, tucked away in a second hand book shop in Cornwall.
November 26, 2023
1983 Grade A
2023 Grade A-
This book is quite definitely grade A! It is also the most nasty and tense psychological SciFi thriller I have ever read.
One human teams with an alien and goes to their planet to figure out who is kidnapping humans. The aliens have a kind of telepathy/empathy that controls their entire society, which is not human in any way. The author has a degree in psychology and has done a masterful job of describing the aliens, their society, and its affect on the human.
The problem is it is too masterful. I had some trouble suspending my disbelief that the human could survive at all, let alone succeed in the investigation. The story is so tense through out, with little comic relief, that I could only read for about 45 min at a time before I needed a break. I felt the ending could have been stronger to match the rest of the novel. I did skip to the end of a few paragraphs when it got too much for me.
Is it good(?), a strong Yes. Do you want to read it(?), depends on whether you want this level of tension. I don't plan to read it again. Fortunately it is less than 140 pages and easy to read.
2023 Grade A-
This book is quite definitely grade A! It is also the most nasty and tense psychological SciFi thriller I have ever read.
One human teams with an alien and goes to their planet to figure out who is kidnapping humans. The aliens have a kind of telepathy/empathy that controls their entire society, which is not human in any way. The author has a degree in psychology and has done a masterful job of describing the aliens, their society, and its affect on the human.
The problem is it is too masterful. I had some trouble suspending my disbelief that the human could survive at all, let alone succeed in the investigation. The story is so tense through out, with little comic relief, that I could only read for about 45 min at a time before I needed a break. I felt the ending could have been stronger to match the rest of the novel. I did skip to the end of a few paragraphs when it got too much for me.
Is it good(?), a strong Yes. Do you want to read it(?), depends on whether you want this level of tension. I don't plan to read it again. Fortunately it is less than 140 pages and easy to read.
January 11, 2026
“The Mind Traders” by J. Hunter Holly (1967)
Overall Rating 8/10 – Mind-fillingly good!
Plot
20000 Earth people disappear and it is suspected that the neighbouring planet, Riga, is responsible. The Rigans can control people through telepathy and, indeed, their whole culture and society is based on “mind control”. If the Rigans are responsible for the kidnapping and disappearance of the Earthlings, how could our protagonist (and investigator), Morgan Sellers, hope to get them back?
Writing Style
Easy, flowing sentences. Quite a modern style with very little to give away its true age. Very easy to watch the film unfold in your head. A basic palette of adjectives.
Point of View/Voice
Written in the 3rd Person / Past Tense (standard convention)
Critique
Extremely good for a 1960’s sci-fi novel. This author utilises a concept of science fiction that I have not encountered before (but hope to do so again) and that is the creation of a world where “mind control” is central to the alien anthropology.
In this story, we follow a Terran investigator on the alien world (Riga) seeking to learn the truth as to how twenty thousand Earthlings have vanished. How could he hope to learn anything within a world where any one of the aliens (even the children) can control his mind? The author has, frankly, done an insanely good job of creating a “believable” world and has very successfully created a compelling science fiction thriller.
It is notable too, that, it having been written in the 1960s, there is no alien technology and actually no human technology. No fanciful equipment, no strange, unexplainable or magical happenings and no references to modern day, antiquated equipment (like a radio for example).
You could read this in another 100 years’ time, and I doubt it would even show its age then.
Bravo!
Overall Rating 8/10 – Mind-fillingly good!
Plot
20000 Earth people disappear and it is suspected that the neighbouring planet, Riga, is responsible. The Rigans can control people through telepathy and, indeed, their whole culture and society is based on “mind control”. If the Rigans are responsible for the kidnapping and disappearance of the Earthlings, how could our protagonist (and investigator), Morgan Sellers, hope to get them back?
Writing Style
Easy, flowing sentences. Quite a modern style with very little to give away its true age. Very easy to watch the film unfold in your head. A basic palette of adjectives.
Point of View/Voice
Written in the 3rd Person / Past Tense (standard convention)
Critique
Extremely good for a 1960’s sci-fi novel. This author utilises a concept of science fiction that I have not encountered before (but hope to do so again) and that is the creation of a world where “mind control” is central to the alien anthropology.
In this story, we follow a Terran investigator on the alien world (Riga) seeking to learn the truth as to how twenty thousand Earthlings have vanished. How could he hope to learn anything within a world where any one of the aliens (even the children) can control his mind? The author has, frankly, done an insanely good job of creating a “believable” world and has very successfully created a compelling science fiction thriller.
It is notable too, that, it having been written in the 1960s, there is no alien technology and actually no human technology. No fanciful equipment, no strange, unexplainable or magical happenings and no references to modern day, antiquated equipment (like a radio for example).
You could read this in another 100 years’ time, and I doubt it would even show its age then.
Bravo!
April 28, 2023
What a little gem!
November 22, 2025
I would hesitate to call this book influential, because no one’s really heard of it. It was, however, ahead of its time.
As other reviewers have noted, it’s an example of the buddy cop genre. I mean, everything, to a T. Fish out of water, interviewing suspects, stakeout, talking killer, capture, escape, all of it. It’s a sci-fi buddy cop story... Except the buddy cop genre didn’t exist yet. In the Heat of the Night came out the same year as this did, and 48 Hours wasn’t for 12 more years.
All of that said, this book is fine but unremarkable. It should’ve either been goofier or smarter. As it is, it spent too much time explaining its own premise of tiered mind control. The last 30 pages are better—quite good, actually—as the conspiracy is uncovered. But I can’t rate it too high overall.
Shane Black would be proud. Chandler and Bradbury not so much.
As other reviewers have noted, it’s an example of the buddy cop genre. I mean, everything, to a T. Fish out of water, interviewing suspects, stakeout, talking killer, capture, escape, all of it. It’s a sci-fi buddy cop story... Except the buddy cop genre didn’t exist yet. In the Heat of the Night came out the same year as this did, and 48 Hours wasn’t for 12 more years.
All of that said, this book is fine but unremarkable. It should’ve either been goofier or smarter. As it is, it spent too much time explaining its own premise of tiered mind control. The last 30 pages are better—quite good, actually—as the conspiracy is uncovered. But I can’t rate it too high overall.
Shane Black would be proud. Chandler and Bradbury not so much.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews