Farewell to the Master

Harry Bates was an American science fiction writer and editor who would, most likely, be totally forgotten today if it were not for this one extraordinary story of an alien named Klaatu and a giant and super-powerful robot. The story became the basis for the 1951 and 2008 films The Day the Earth Stood Still. However, as is often the case, the movie took only some elements from the story and changed others completely. In the story, for example, the robot is named "Gnut." In the movie, it became "Gort." Many people who read the story and see the movies seem to feel that, although the first movie became a classic, the original story has a much more interesting and thought-provoking twist than either of the movies.