Daniel Keyes

Daniel Keyes was an American author whose novel Flowers for Algernon is one of the most beloved and frequently taught works of science fiction. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1927, he studied at Brooklyn College and worked as a teacher, an editor, and a merchant seaman before becoming a writer. Flowers for Algernon tells the story of Charlie Gordon, a man with an intellectual disability who undergoes an experimental procedure that dramatically increases his intelligence — with devastating consequences. Originally published as a short story (which won the Hugo Award) and expanded into a novel (which won the Nebula Award), it is one of science fiction's most emotionally powerful works. Keyes died in 2014. His audiobooks and books offer listeners and readers one of the most moving novels in science fiction — a story about intelligence, humanity, and what truly makes us who we are.