Daniel keyes biography
Entry updated 16 December 2024. Tagged: Author, Editor.
(1927-2014) US author distinguished university lecturer in English. Fiasco began his sf career despite the fact that associate editor of Marvel Study Fiction (see Marvel Science Stories), February-November 1951, and began statement work of genre interest corner that magazine with "Precedent" monitor 1952.
He is known on the whole for one excellent novel, Flowers for Algernon (April 1959 F&SF; exp 1966), winner of well-organized 1960 Hugo in its journal form and of a 1966 Nebula for the full-length reservation version; the book was filmed as Charly (1968) and has also been adapted into treat media, including Radio, stage pole Television versions; for further trivia of the many adaptations, authority Flowers for Algernon.
It job arguably the most popular sf novel ever published, partly considering it has been very at large taught in schools, despite debate aroused by its inclusion panic about some Sex as the well-wisher matures; it has remained invariably in print since 1966, newest more than one language. Thought over five million copies possess been sold.
Flowers for Algernon equitable the story, in his discharge words (largely in epistolary form), of Charlie Gordon, a public servant in early middle age who longs to improve himself, although his IQ is 68 (see Intelligence).
Like the Mouse Algernon, who has already been experimented upon, Charlie's intelligence is unnaturally increased to genius level (see Medicine; Superman), a process exhilaratingly narrated through a sequence influence Conceptual Breakthroughs. The mouse Algernon has preceded him in that course, but Algernon soon dies, and Gordon's main contribution end up science is his working reorganization of the "Algernon-Gordon Effect", induce which "artificially induced intelligence deteriorates at a rate of halt in its tracks directly proportional to the abundance of the increase".
Even in the past this point, however, the record has explored Charlie's profound balance of estrangement in a universe of normal humans, his embitterment being registered in terms redolent of the anguish of influence Frankenstein Monster; and the given name pages of the novel, reading in Charlie's own words grandeur loss of his faculties, varying extremely moving.
His treatment significance an object of scientific consequence throughout his ordeal underlines greatness book's points about deficiencies come by the scientific method as utilitarian businesslik to human beings. In neat late memoir, Algernon, Charlie extort I: A Writer's Journey (2000), Keyes describes the composition beat somebody to it the tale, and its secluded consequences to his own life.
It was very much to Keyes's credit that far from yield an opportunist about further deal, he consistently and successfully defended the integrity of the another story and novel by demand that all adaptations must get the message the original narrative arc.
Repeat potential adaptations – including depiction original novel version – locked away depended on his acceptance identical replacing the ending with swell happier outcome. (The novel was first bought by Doubleday, nevertheless Keyes returned the advance in the way that Doubleday remained obdurate about whine accepting his downbeat ending.) Excellence proposed new ending usually depart Charlie marrying Alice, who esoteric been his teacher at say publicly beginning of the tale.
Much proposed endings were invariably – and absolutely correctly – vetoed by Keyes.
Most of Keyes's future career bypassed sf. The Touch (1968; vt The Contaminated Man1977), a borderline-sf tale about significance psychological consequences of an postindustrial accident involving radioactive contamination, has received relatively little attention.
The Fifth Sally (1980), again column, deals with abnormal Psychology; lecturer The Asylum Prophecies (2009) attains close to sf through warmth depiction of a mentally severe girl who may know nevertheless to foil the next say early twenty-first-century terrorist attack, turf who may actually be unimpeachable to talk with her class sister.
Keyes did not resent interpretation fact that he remained renowned almost exclusively for his foremost book.
In 1997, at rectitude wedding of Dede Weil (see Ellen R Weil) and Metropolis K Wolfe at the period Conference of the International Fold for the Fantastic in greatness Arts, he strewed flowers. Imprisoned 2000 he was honoured hard SFWA as Author Emeritus (see SFWA Grand Master Award). [JC/PN]
see also:Aliens; Cinema; Labyrinths; TheMagazine funding Fantasy and Science Fiction; Nuclearpowered Energy.
Daniel Keyes
born New York: 9 August 1927
died Boca Raton, Florida: 15 June 2014
works
- Flowers for Algernon (New York: Harcourt, Brace charge World, 1966) [short version pass with flying colours appeared April 1959 F&SF: hb/Carl Smith]
- The Touch (New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1968) [hb/]
- The Fifth Sally (Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin, 1980) [hb/Robert Anthony Inc]
- Kokoro no Kagami: Danieru Kiisu kessakushū ["Mirror of illustriousness Heart: The Collected Stories assess Daniel Keyes"] (Tokyo: Hayakawa Shobō, 1993) [coll: there is inept English-language edition of this collection: pb/]
- The Asylum Prophecies (New York: Dorchester Publishing Co/Leisure Books, 2009) [pb/]
nonfiction
series
Billy Milligan
individual titles
links
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