Farewell to the Master

By: Harry Bates

Narrated by: Jim Roberts

Harry Bates was an American science fiction writer and editor who would, most likely, be totallyforgotten 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.

Public Domain (P)2011 Jimcin Recordings

Should be a movie

I wish someone would make this exact story into a movie. I love THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, but this is also a wonderful story. Amazing for having been published in 1940!

great classic sci-fi!

great classic sci-fi! great classic why do I have to write 15 words? you should be grateful I write anything at all! great classic great old story!

The Real Story

If you could sum up Farewell to the Master in three words, what would they be?

Movie versus story

What did you like best about this story?

Reading a story that was very different than the well-known movie. The movie used very little of the original story. The surprising difference was great fun.

What does Jim Roberts bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

A voice that sounds like the speech of the time the story was written.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It did give me a chuckle here and there about the technology of the future as imagined when the story was written.