This is a quote from Harry Bates' short story entitled "Farewell to the Master" which was first published in the October 1940 issue of Astounding Science Fiction: "From his perch high on the ladder above the museum floor, Cliff Sutherland studied carefully each line and shadow of the great robot, then turned and looked thoughtfully down at the rush of visitors come from all over the Solar System to see Gnut and the traveler for themselves and to hear once again their amazing, tragic story."

From a writerly point of view, this is a solid first paragraph. It immediately identifies the story’s protagonist, where he is and that his presence is not alarming anyone at the museum, so presumably it’s OK for him to be there. This exhibit is drawing people from “all over the Solar System”, so the exhibit is very popular and is taking place in a future when there are people all over the Solar System. The exhibit is about Gnut and some sort of “traveler,” and their story is both amazing and tragic. We learn all of that in the first paragraph.

It's a really good story, but you were given a dozens guesses, it's a fair bet that many of you wouldn't be able to guess the movie which was "adapted" from this story, because just about every element of the story was either dropped or radically altered.

The movie is terrific "The Day The Earth Stood Still" and it hit theaters on this date in 1951. And in 1995, it was inducted into the U.S.'s National Film Registry.

The Rectification of Names: It Offends Me, Rudy.

Open Letters by Mersault: I Met the Future of the Republican Party,

Show Me Progress: Mark Alford (r) gets schooled.

Attention space nerds! International Observe the Moon Night.

Round Up by driftglass of the Professional Left Podcast and Science Fiction University

Send tips to mbru (AT) crooksandliars (DOT) com