วันพิฆาตสะกดโลก

by Harry Bates, อรนุช รัตนะ (Translator), ดีเมอร์เซล (Editor)

The famous 1940 short story by Harry Bates that inspired the two movies "The Day the Earth Stood Still" The humanoid alien Klaatu and the giant robot Gnut suddenly materialize in Washington, D.C., in a time-travel space ship. Two unfathomable beings from somewhere else in the universe. The murder of Klaatu ruins Earth’s attempt to peacefully welcome the first interstellar visitors. And one man tries to solve the mystery of why Gnut remains silent, imperious, and unassailable.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Audiobook, 20th Century, Fantasy

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1940

About the author

Hiram Gilmore "Harry" Bates III (October 9, 1900 – September 1981) was an American science fiction editor and writer. His short story "Farewell to the Master" (1940) was the basis of the well-known science fiction movie The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_B...

see also under the following pen-names:
Anthony Gilmore (with D.W. Hall)
A.R. Holmes
H.G. Winter (with D.W. Hall)

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've seen the movie The Day The Earth Stood Still from 2008 and loved the concept. The story had a few problems, to say nothing of Keanu Reeves only having one facial expression, but the basic concept was cool and so were the effects.

Naturally, I wanted to read the story it was all based on.

This short story is completely different however. Granted, we have a man-like thing and a huge robot coming to Earth and stepping out of some sort of ship. Then an overly enthusiastic human shoots the man-like one (Klaatu). But that is where the similarities end.

You see, in the movie (at least the one from 2008 that I saw) Klaatu's body is the copy of a human from 1928 that gets shot but doesn't die. He is interrogated after he recovers somewhat while the Earthlings discover that there wasn't just one sphere (ship) landing but several all over the world (although the others are smaller). The squeres are collecting copies of every species of animals (probably also plants) much like Noah did before the flood. Because men have screwed up the planet and it will no longer be tolerated. What follows then is a wild chase and a scientist's desperate quest in order to convince Klaatu that we deserve another chance (John Cleese is the one giving the best argument).


In the movie of 1951 we get the same basic outline except that humankind is told to either live peacefully or be destroyed. This was of course heavily influenced by the development of atomic warfare and weapons of mass destruction.

Now, in the book Klaatu is shot and dies. Nobody knows what he and his robot came here for. Humans build a tomb for Klaatu's body and a museum to show how sorry they are for what happened. In the museum stands Gnut, the giant robot. Supposedly, Gnut hasn't moved since Klaatu died but a free-lance reporter sneaks in after hours and finds out that the robot moves every night and that strange things are going on. No more shall be revealed plot-wise.

The entire story is a bit ... lengthy? I know, strange word or a short story but that is what it felt like to me. Also, there are sooo many things that don't add up. Sure, it's apparently a story telling us that our assumptions are usually very wrong and that humans in general have too much self-confidence. And then the ending has a bit of a twist. Perhaps a bit obvious for a reader nowadays but we have to keep in mind that this story was published in 1940 (which explains a few descriptions too).

Sadly, while the idea is great, I prefer what they made of it in the movie. There is no real conflict in the short story. The "mystery" is not really important in the end, except for a bit of internal reflection maybe, and even for that it was almost too weak. Too bad.
Nevertheless, it is better than the radio production they made out of it back in the day and since this IS the original ...

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the original story much, much better than the hollywood productions. That includes the radio drama, or EITHER of the movies.

What can I say? I'm a throwback. I like the originals. Sparse little stories that house big ideas that capture so many imaginations later until they're driven deep in the ground only to sprout up as little jokey comments or tropes EVERYONE KNOWS.

But, me? I like to see where it starts. I wanted to know where The Day The Earth Stood Still came from.

And I thought it was pretty okay. :)

Not exactly first contact, a bit of mystery, a bit of suspense, ending on a note of hope.

I likey. Kinda minimalist. Quite focused.

That being said, it's never going to be my favorite story of any time. 1940 or no. :)

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the 1941's radio production of the story and apart from a very revealing look at the ads of the time, this is also ... not the same story as what Harry Bates actually wrote.

I was shocked while listening to this - and not because of the toilet soap and other stuff they tried selling me.

In this version, two aliens come to Earth. One is a robot, the other one looks human and decides to meet the locals after not getting to meet with the world's leaders. He has some encounters with a boy and his mother, gets shot and dies as is the same in all versions of this story, and then gives Earth its only warning.

The production scale is quite astonishing. Or maybe not, if one considers that there was no TV back in the day so families gathered around the radio to listen to such productions.
However, I never like or condone when a story is twisted too much for whatever reason. This is NOT Bates' story as it has practically nothing in common with the original and it's a shame, no matter if you liked the original story or not. I don't care why they changed it - if they want to perform this story, fine, but under a different title.

[Kat Hooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Farewell to the Master is the short story that forms the premise of the popular 1951 (remade in 2008) science fiction movie The Day the Earth Stood Still, in which an alien and his robot visit Earth to warn humans that their atomic weapons and violent tendencies will not be tolerated by the rest of the galaxy. Earth can get in line with peaceful galactic ideology, or be destroyed.

Not surprisingly, Bates’ story, which was published before atomic weapons were developed, is hardly like the movie. Yes, there’s a humanoid alien and his robot who appear in Washington D.C. in a spaceship. Yes, a violent human being shoots the alien. But from there the stories diverge. There’s no threat of Earth’s destruction and Harry Bates never penned the famous phrase from the movie: “Klaatu barada nikto.” While the movie and the original story have different messages for humans, both are meant to knock us off the pedestal we’ve placed ourselves on.

In Farewell to the Master, a photojournalist realizes that the robot is more than he appears and that there is some secret activity going on in the spaceship. He is determined to get photographic evidence and sell it to the highest bidder. The resulting story is exciting, suspenseful and, of course, short. Here in 2012, the famous “ironic” twist at the end isn’t too surprising, but it probably was in 1940.

Blackstone Audio has just released Farewell to the Master on audio. Tom Weiner gives his usual enthusiastic performance – I am always happy to see his name on an audiobook. I’m also pleased that Blackstone Audio has been producing old SF lately and I can hardly keep up with all of it. I have just one complaint about this production. Right now the CD version of this book is available at Blackstone Audio or Amazon for $20 which I think is overpriced considering that the story is only 1½ hours long and you can read it for free online (it’s in the public domain) or for 99¢ on Kindle. However, the Audible download version is available at Audible for less than $5, which is completely reasonable — I can recommend this version if you download from Audible. Just make sure you’re purchasing the one narrated by Tom Weiner and produced by Blackstone Audio. I have tried a sample of the other audiobook version of this story and I much prefer Tom Weiner’s narration.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this memorable story in an old Astounding Science-Fiction Magazine I found at a flea market.
It was written by Harry Bates in 1940.

The classic movie, The Day the Earth Stood Still was loosely based on the story.

GNUT is the Robots name in the book. Very scary fellow.
Nobody says "Klaatu Barrada Nicto" in the book.

The twist that is also alluded to in the movie is the Robots are the masters.

[Pawarut Jongsirirag · Rating 4 out of 5]

โอ้โห สนุกเฉย

ลืมภาคหนังทั้ง 2 เวอร์ชั่น (1951/2008) ที่เคยทำออกมาเลยนะครับ ไม่มีอะไรเหมือนนิยายเลย หนังเพียงเอาองค์ประกอบจากนิยายไปสร้างเท่านั้น เพราะตัวนิยายเองมันมีองค์ประกอบที่ผู้สร้างสามารถเติมอะไรลงไปก็ได้ ก็มีความลงตัวเหมือนกันหมด กลายเป็นว่าหนังที่สร้างออกมาจึงมีวัตถุประสงค์บางอย่างที่พยายามจะสื่อสารกับคนดูเพื่อให้ตระหนักถึงปัญหาของโลกในช่วงเวลานั้น (ถ้าเคยดูหนังจะเกทเลยครับ) ผ่านเจ้ามนุษย์ต่างดาวตัวยักษ์ กร็อท และ พ่อหนุ่มหน้ามน คลาธู

ตัวนิยายจริงๆเป็น Scifi / Thriller ที่นำเอาความขี้เผือกของคนเรามาเป็นปัจจัยในการดำเนินเรื่อง คือมันก็น่าสงสัยกระตุ้นต่อมเผือกให้ทำงานจริงๆนั่นแหละครับ ลองคิดดู อยู่มาวันนึงมายานอวกาศโผล่มาบนโลก มีมนุษย์ต่างดาวตัวยักษ์เดินออกมาพร้อมกับมนุษย์ต่างดาวอีกตัวที่หน้าตาเหมือนมนุษย์เด๊ะๆ มาถึงก็ไม่ทำอะไรเลย มาทักทาย แล้วมายืนเฉยๆอย่างงั้นไม่ไปไหน มาแบบนี้ทุกคนสงสัยแน่นอนครับว่า พี่แกมาทำไม มาดีหรือร้าย ต้องการอะไร คือพี่ไม่บอกอะไรเลยอะครับ ปล่อยให้มนุษย์ตัวกะจ้อยมาหาคำตอบเอาเอง

พอคำตอบถูกเฉลยออกมาในตอนจบ กลับยิ่งเพิ่มความลึกลับให้กับคำถามเดิมมากเข้าไปอีก เออเฮ้ย ผมชอบอะไรแบบนี้นะ เพราะบางทีคำตอบมันไม่จำเป็นต้อง”ตอบ”จริงๆก็ได้นี่นา มันอาจเป็นเพียงประตูเพื่อไปยังคำถามต่อไปก็ได้นี่ครับ

[Creolecat · Rating 2 out of 5]

The wonderful 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still was based on this short story. The film is completely different from the book, and much, much better. This was a bore.

[Doctor Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

No doubt anyone looking at this book knows that this story by Harry Bates is the inspiration for the classic movie, “The Day the Earth Stood Still.” Dennis Herrick published the story here, in reprint, as a labor of love. He is a collector of “first contact” science fiction, providing here as an appendix a list of more than 200 other “first contact” stories and books.

“Farewell to the Master” was originally published in 1940, in Astounding magazine. The story itself is now overshadowed by the movie, but the story is entertaining in its own right. The movie departs significantly from the story, especially the story’s ending (which I won’t give away). The movie runs in the present tense, with Klaatu arriving, the unfortunate attack on him, his escape, and his return to deliver his message, all under the protection of the robot Gort.

The story is very different. It begins after Klaatu has been shot, killed, and buried in a mausoleum in Washington’s Tidal Basin. The robot Gnut (renamed for the movie) stands watch over Klaatu’s ship, housed in a museum that has been built around it. Researchers work to understand the ship, and Gnut. The ship itself is referred to as a “time-space” ship — its arrival was not, as in the movie, a landing but a sudden appearance, as if transported instantly through time and space rather than through spaceflight.

Cliff Sutherland is the central character of the story, a reporter who observes and studies Gnut. Gnut, as the story starts, stands a steady, unmoving, unreacting vigil over the ship. Sutherland hides in the museum overnight to watch Gnut, to see if there is any life or movement to him at all.

Many pieces of the movie — the escape of Klaatu, his brief life as “Mr. Carpenter”, the roles of Helen Benson and her son, her fiance Tom Stevens, Professor Barnhardt, even the demonstration by Klaatu — are not in the story itself. The story is more enigmatic, more surprising and mysterious.

To say more than I have about the plot would be to give away too much. It’s a fast, easy, fun read — bringing back from the past the flavor of science fiction well before we first reached space in the fifties and sixties. Mainly though, it’s worth reading out of curiosity — just to see what inspired the classic movie.

[Vince Cipriano · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very compelling read which was the basis for Edward H. North's screenplay for "The Day The Earth Stood Still" (1951).

[Darren Humphries · Rating 3 out of 5]

The interest in reading this story because it spawned one of the greatest sci fi movies of all time (and no I don't mean the Keanu Reeves one)is probably much higher than the success of the story itself. It suffers from being a view of the future from the past and some of the predictions have gone in different directions or produced technology that would have made for a different story.

That said, it's not too long to strain patience and like all good shorter stories the final line has the sting in the tail.

[Amy H. Sturgis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the novelette that inspired the brilliant film The Day the Earth Stood Still, and it's solid vintage science fiction that stands up to time. Very much worth reading.

[Richard Dominguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic in the genre that is thought provoking. Like other works by the author this is a short story that leaves the reader wanting more.

[Steve]

Ironic and bitter story of a "diplomatic incident" to the detriment of two visitors who come to Earth from unknown space. The novel was adapted into the famous film by Robert Wise "The Day the Earth Stood Still".

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting listening to the story that inspired such a great sci-fi classic movie, but it doesn't hold up well on its own.

[Jeff Ferry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was the basis for The Day the Earth Stood Still. It tells a much smaller version of that story that focuses on one photographer and his interactions with Gnut. A good short story.

[Vi's Reviews in One Line · Rating 5 out of 5]

My eyes were so wide at the last line.

[Emma-Louise Ekpo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this short story highly entertaining I would have read a whole book about this!

I’ve only seen the movie with Keanu Reeves and that deviates from the original plot significantly. I think the text only really works as a text, it’s translation to film needs adaptation for mass interest.

The twist at the end was good.

[Antonis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 / 5

Farewell to the Master is a short science fiction story by Harry Bates. A huge robot and a strange human appear on Earth on a surprise visit in a spaceship. In the first paragraphs the human gets accidentally killed and the robot apparently stops working and remains immobile from then.
Along the story, we follow the plot through the eyes and perspective of Cliff, a photographer who happens to discover something interesting and exciting about the robot. It is a very interesting premise and Bates leads us through the story in constant anticipation and excitement. I liked his writing very much. I particularly enjoyed how Bates gives small ordinary details about everyday things and feelings while avoiding becoming overly verbose. This helps keep the reader focused, interested and wanting to turn pages.
I found 2 main problems with this short story though. The first is the science which is all over the place. Of course, considering the story's original date of publication, it is expected that a lot of things don't make sense nowadays and unfortunately I can admit that it hasn't aged well. But even that, can't excuse some crazy scientific facts that would obviously be considered a bit dubious even then.
The second problem is the ending. I will of course not spoil it at all. I will just comment on two facts. One is that it is very sudden and abrupt. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. In this case I think it doesn't work so well. The other, is that the ending feels as if was meant to be deeper and more philosophical, to elicit wonderment and questions and make the readers think about... what exactly I don't know! That's what was completely lost on me. Is there really anything deeper there or just a last moment plot-twist just because... "why not"?
But in summary, it's a very nice and interesting story. Since it can be read in an afternoon and can probably be found for free on the internet somewhere, I don't see any reason why not to recommend it. I personally enjoyed it a bit more than the 3 stars of my rating show.

3.5 / 5

[ALLA BASIM · Rating 3 out of 5]

قصة خيال علمي غريبة تركز على الأحداث والتفاصيل دون الحبكة الأم والتي تنير شيئا منها في الصحيفة الأخيرة .. اسلوب جذاب وأحداث تظهر عادية باديء الأمر .

[Bernie4444 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The introduction by Dennis Herrick adds greatly to the experience.

If it was not for Dennis Herrick's interest in first-contact Invasion books, this reprint of the 1940 classic titled "Farewell to the Master" would not be available. Hopefully, other people will follow suit with more reprints from different genres.

As with most people I have already seen the 1951 version with Michael Rennie. In this case, I had also seen the 2008 version with Keanu Reeves. I also read the "Tale Retold" book by Arthur Tofte. Each version has its own unique message and ending, as does the original story.

A space-time ship or container suddenly materializes in Washington, D.C. after waiting an excruciatingly long time two beings emerge one looks human named Klaatu the other a robot named (surprise) Gnut. After a brief introduction, Klaatu is dispatched.

A reporter Cliff Sutherland is suspicious of the robot that has never moved since Klaatu's demise. He suspects a sinister plot. Should we also? Read the book and find out; but whatever you do, do not read the last page first.

[Dyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not seen either of the The Day The Earth Stood Still films, and had no idea they were based on this story. Reading their plotlines I'm disappointed; they seem to have completely missed the point of the story, particularly the 2008 version. This was such a great story with a lot of potential to be fleshed out into a wider story "world". I'll be thinking about this one for a long time yet.

[NephriteON · Rating 4 out of 5]

The following review was originally published in the online newspaper The Orkney News in June 2020. Link here. https://theorkneynews.scot/2020/06/30...

Farewell To The Master by Harry Bates

Hello again to all of my readers! I hope you are all well and now I shall explain today’s review. I’m sure that many of you have heard of or watched The Day The Earth Stood Still. Be it the classic 1950s version or the – much inferior – 2008 remake. Farewell To The Master by the (sadly lost to history) Harry Bates was the original short story from 1940 which proved the inspiration for the famous film. As such this review is going to be very similar to my review for Frozen Hell by John W. Campbell Jr.

Harry Bates is a figure which although he is not well remembered had quite the impact on the history of science fiction. He acted as the founding editor of Astounding Stories of Super Science which later became better known as simply Astounding Stories and was eventually edited by John W. Campbell Jr. For information on his tenure see my discussion of Frozen Hell. Bates often had his authors focus on exciting action with short bursts of plausible science when relevant. Bates himself did write a number of stories while acting as editor however there is no record of any published stories by Bates under any name after 1952. He eventually died in 1981 mostly forgotten.

Farewell To The Master is a story from 1940 which despite inspiring the 1951 classic is very different from its more well known children. The plot is as follows: A space-time ship suddenly appears in Washington D.C. unexpectedly. A large crowd gathers and waits for signs of any occupants. Eventually an humanoid looking alien leaves the ship known as Klaatu alongside a robotic thing known as Gnut. Klaatu is assassinated and to prove their sincere sorrow over the event a partial museum of the event of first contact and mausoleum for the remains of Klaatu is built. A journalist known as Cliff Sutherland becomes suspicious and believes that Gnut – who supposedly has not moved since the death of Klaatu – is secretly moving at night but I won’t give away any more of the story except to say that the famous ‘Klaatu barada nikto’ was an invention of the 1951 film.

I found Farewell to be an intriguing relisten. Cliff Sutherland proves to be an interesting character with slowly progressing intentions and motivations throughout the course of the short story while Gnut proves to be something of a puzzle. At least at first. Bates’s writing is enjoyable with enough going on to entertain the reader or listener and if you enjoy hearing the original versions of certain now world famous or ubiquitous stories I certainly recommend it.

The narration in the version which I experienced came from a Tom Weiner who I found a very good and enjoyable narrator. His various voices certainly seemed to capture the spirit of the 1940s and 1950s science fiction in which the story was created. In some ways it was similar to the narration done for The Luna Missile Crisis. Weiner also narrates a introductory miniature biography and history of Harry Bates and his involvement with the science fiction genre which also discusses some clear differences with The Day The Earth Stood Still.

On the other hand, despite enjoying Farewell to the Master, I would personally say that the 1951 Day is the superior experience. They tell different stories and have different messages so as a result you can certainly experience both and get a different result but Farewell (and I feel somewhat guilty saying this) simply feels more dated. It’s one of those rare examples where I find it difficult to define what ‘bothers’ me about a story (and in this case Farewell comparatively.)

As a result this is a story which I personally enjoy and has an intriguing ending but I wouldn’t recommend seeking out unless you are a big fan of classic science fiction or you consider The Day The Earth Stood Still as one of your personal favourite films. Otherwise the specific version I listened to is a three out of five story being elevated to four out of five by rather well done narration by Weiner and the mini biography prior to the story itself.

Hopefully you will all hear from me soon.

Sayonara!

Nephrite.

[Ann-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Farewell to the Master is a thought-provoking novella about visitors from space, Klaatu and Gnut, who come to earth with peace in mind but are attacked out of fear.

I liked how the writing flowed easily from sci-fi to thrilling suspense and mystery when Cliff Sutherland, a picture reporter, stayed in the museum a couple of nights to cover what he believed to be a sensational story "that would set the world on its ears."

Movie adaptations:

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)



I love Michael Rennie as Klaatu. In the original story Klaatu is described as having a face that "radiated kindness, wisdom, the purest nobility" and I feel like Rennie's portrayal perfectly captures that part of him.



As for the movie's storyline, it differs quite a bit from the novella such as Klaatu arrives with not just a message of peace but also a warning of destruction if Earth's people should extend their violence to other planets. But I think that the creative changes are what make the movie such an essential sci-fi classic.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)



This movie is a remake of the 1951 adaptation, with its own creative changes, so it doesn't have much in common with the novella's storyline either. However, I like it because of my forever crush, Keanu Reeves, who plays a more aloof and enigmatic Klaatu.

[Gary Hardwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm embarrassed to say that I never knew "The Day The Earth Stood Still" was based on a book. I might have known because of its enduring popularity. The movie is one of the best sci fi films ever made and this novella is just as good.

The book is very different, but still resonates with the same themes as the film we all know. The hero is a so called "picture man" a journalist, who's looking for a big story after a spaceship lands in D.C., shocking the world.

Klaatu comes to us with his protector, a huge robot named Gnut. Klaatu is injured and from there, the story goes in a totally different direction. It centers on the journalist who is trying to get a scoop and ends up discovering a truth more startling than the fact that we are not alone in the universe.

When you read it, you will see why it was so drastically changed for film. Bates was way ahead of his time as a sci fi writer and his story would have been too much for people in the 1950's. Today, it would be a stellar episode of "Black Mirror."

One might be tempted to downgrade this book because we are so used to the movies and that story, but that would be a big mistake. This story is a masterpiece, like "Who goes There?" which became "The Thing," and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," it is timeless.

[Steven Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story the inspired the sci fi film classic The Day the Earth Stood Still. Farewell to the Master was written by Harry Bates in the late 30's and published in 1940 and is around 84 pages in length, so a pretty quick read. Its quite different from the movie by Robert Wise, but still very good. It's interesting to read and note the major differences in the movie and book, and what Robert Wise took from the original story when creating one of the great science fiction movies of all time. An interesting note is the way the space craft first appears in the book. It does not land. The oval craft just appears, and it is mentioned that the craft may be a space and time traveling craft, which made me wonder if there was some inspiration in the creation of Doctor Who with this story of a benevolent alien coming to Earth in a craft that appears out of thin are and may also travel through time. Anyway, I enjoyed reading the story that inspired one of my favorite movies, but don't expect to read the same story as the movie.

[Terry Mulcahy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's wonderful to read the original story. The movie made of it was Hollywood-inspired. It's a fantastic movie with a grand message. But to see with my own eyes and mind's eye what the real story was gives me a warm glow, warm but not as hot as the robotlike creature got. Someone said the original had too many words, despite it being a short. However, all of those little details made it real in my head. I could see it all happening because I hardly notice the words in a book once the story is playing out in my head. Unless there's a problem with the writing. I don't think that's the case with this story. It stands the test of time, whether that's because of, or in spite of the movie I don't know.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this because the movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still", one of my favorites was based on it. This is one of those cases where the movie (the original movie) was better than the short story, however the story isn't bad.

It does share some of the characters and plot points of the film, but is much compressed. Written in 1941 of an unspecified time in the future it was fun to see how the past saw their future.

I found some of the plot to be silly, but the overall concept held up very well.

[Roberta Lynne Ruben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short Audible science fiction story based on a 1951 publication written by Harry Bates of an outer space alien ship that lands in Washington D.C. The beings on it include a large robotic creature named Grunt with many special skills and a human like creature called Klattu who is mistakenly referred to as the master. A member of the press with special camera and sound equipment determines the power of the Robotic Giant. The humanoid creature is shot by an American. The story has a surprise ending.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating short story. I recently watched the two films “The Day The Earth Stood Still” from 1951 and 2008 which were based on this story. In actuality the short story is very different with Klaatu being a more minor character and Gnut taking centre stage. Even the point of our self-absorption was not taken from the book into the films but entirely missed.

[Twainy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story that inspired the old-time movie, The Day the Earth Stood Still. The narrator brings the feel of the old movie to the book. Remarkably Hollywood really wasn’t true to the book.

I LOVED IT!

Are the alien & his robot here to help us or kill us? First contact.

Super short. Amazing ironic last line. Audible Plus Catalog.

4.5 stars