The Day The Earth Stood Still: Three Things You Might Not Know About The SF Classic
Klaatu barada nikto.
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It Was Based on a Short Story
Even if you’re a lifelong science fiction fan, you might not recognize the name of writer Harry Bates. That’s a shame, given that one of the best science fiction movies of all time was based on one of his stories. Bates’ work appeared throughout the “Golden Age” of pulp science fiction, popping up in magazines such as Astounding, Amazing Stories, and Thrilling Wonder Stories. The Day the Earth Stood Still was based on his short story “Farewell to the Master,” first published in the October 1940 issue of Astounding Science Fiction.
Screenwriter Edmund H. North made some changes while adapting Bates’ story, but the general shape of the narrative stayed the same — a humanoid alien and a mysterious robot coming to Earth to warn mankind to get their shit sorted and stop acting like savages. In the short story, the protagonist was a freelance reporter trying to discover the truth about the alien visitors. As in the movie, Klaatu is shot by trigger-happy humans, and just like in the movie, Gort stages a resurrection for his organic counterpart. The big twist — that Gort is the boss, not Klaatu — served as the short story’s big climactic twist. You can read “Farewell to the Master” in full right here.
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