"Farewell to the Master (The Day the Earth Stood Still)" by Harry Bates (1940)

First published in the splendid October 1940 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, this ambitious story became the basis of one of the most highly-regarded science-fiction films of its time and even all time, the quite wonderful "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951), remade in 2008 by Scott Derrickson with Keanu Reeves – the title under which this thoughtful, well-paced and very ambitious story has been known ever since.

(16,000 words)

We have included here the several original – and most worthwhile – 1940 Astounding illustrations by Kramer.

An ebook of this striking saga is available for downloading below.

Farewell to the Master (e-book)