Daniel Keyes
Daniel Keyes | |
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Spouse | Aurea Georgina Vazquez |
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Daniel Keyes (August 9, 1927 – June 15, 2014) was an American writer who wrote the novel
Biography
Early life and career
Keyes was born in
A month after graduation, Keyes joined publisher
As Keyes recalled, Goodman offered him a job under Lee after Marvel Science Stories ceased publication:
Since my $17.25-a-month rent was almost due, I accepted what I considered a detour on my journey toward a literary career. Stan Lee ... let his editors deal with the scriptwriters, cartoonists, and lettering crew. Writers turned in plot synopses, Stan read them, and as a matter of course, would accept one or two from each of the regulars he referred to as his "stable." As one of his front men, I would pass along comments and criticism. ... Because of my experience editing Marvel and because I'd sold a few science fiction stories by then, Stan allowed me to specialize in the horror, fantasy, suspense, and science fiction comic books. Naturally, I began submitting story ideas, getting freelance assignment, and supplementing my salary by writing scripts on my own time.[8]
One story idea Keyes wrote but did not submit to Lee was called "Brainstorm", the paragraph-long synopsis that would evolve into Flowers for Algernon. It begins: "The first guy in the test to raise the I.Q. from a low normal 90 to genius level ... He goes through the experience and then is thrown back to what was." Keyes recalled, "something told me it should be more than a comic book script."[8]
From 1955 to 1956, Keyes wrote for EC Comics, including its titles Shock Illustrated and Confessions Illustrated, under both his own name and the pseudonyms Kris Daniels and A.D. Locke.[7]
Flowers for Algernon
The short story and subsequent novel, Flowers for Algernon, is written as progress reports of a mentally disabled man, Charlie, who undergoes experimental surgery and briefly becomes a genius before the effects tragically wear off. The story was initially published in the April 1959 issue of
The inspiration for Flowers for Algernon came from Keyes's experiences as a teacher. When he was teaching at a high school, he taught both mentally gifted and challenged students. One particular experience with a boy in his mentally challenged class sparked the inspiration to begin writing Flowers for Algernon. He was wondering what would happen if it was possible for a person to gain intelligence.[11]
Later career
Keyes taught creative writing at Wayne State University, and in 1966 he became an English and creative writing professor at Ohio University, in Athens, Ohio, where he was honored as a professor emeritus in 2000.[5][12][13]
Death
Keyes died at his home in
Awards
Won
- 1960: Hugo Award for the story "Flowers for Algernon"[17]
- 1966: Nebula Award for the novel Flowers for Algernon[1]
- 1986: Kurd Lasswitz Award for The Minds of Billy Milligan[18]
- 1993: Seiun Award (Non-Fiction of the Year) for The Minds of Billy Milligan[19]
- 2000: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
- 2014: Life Time Award
Nominated
- 1967: Hugo Award for the novel Flowers for Algernon[20]
- 1982: Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime for The Minds of Billy Milligan[21]
- 1987: Edgar Award for the American Association of Mystery Writers for Unveiling Claudia[21]
Bibliography
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Novels
- Flowers for Algernon (novel, 1966) adapted for cinema as Charly, 1968, and as Flowers for Algernon, 2000
- The Touch (1968; re-edited and published as The Contaminated Man, 1977)[22]
- The Fifth Sally (1980)[22]
- The Minds of Billy Milligan (1981)[23]
- Unveiling Claudia (1986)
- The Milligan Wars: A True-Story Sequel (Japan, 1994)
- Until Death (1998)
- The Asylum Prophecies (2009)
Short fiction
- Collections
- Daniel Keyes Collected Stories (Japan, 1993)
- Stories
Title | Year | First published | Reprinted/collected | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Flowers for Algernon | 1959 | Keyes, Daniel (April 1959). "Flowers for Algernon". F&SF. 16 (4). | Keyes, Daniel (May 2000). "Flowers for Algernon". F&SF. 98 (5): 35–63. | Expanded as a novel, 1966. |
Non-fiction
- Algernon, Charlie, and I : a writer's journey. Challcrest Press. 2000.
- "Algernon, Charlie, and I : a writer's journey". F&SF. 98 (5): 64–86. May 2000.[24]
References
- ^ Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. June 17, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-435-23293-1. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
- ^ The National Jewish Monthly, B'nai B'rith, vol. 82-83 (1967), p. 172
- ^ Research Studies, Washington State University, vol. 40 (1972), p. 53
- ^ a b Budrys, Algis (August 1966). "Galaxy Bookshelf". Galaxy Science Fiction. pp. 186–194.
- ISBN 978-0853237693.
daniel Keyes marvel comics.
- ^ a b "Daniel Keyes". Grand Comics Database. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-547-56408-1.
- ^ a b c Slotnik, Daniel E. (June 17, 2014). "Daniel Keyes, a Novelist of the Mind, Dies at 86". The New York Times. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ^ a b Langer, Emily (June 18, 2014). "Daniel Keyes, author of the classic book 'Flowers for Algernon,' dies at 86". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
- ^ "Meet American writer Daniel Keyes". Wayne State University. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
- ^ Winters, Rae (December 1, 2009). "Keyes Biography". Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ^ Woodward, Dwight (Fall 2000). "'Algernon' lives on". Ohio Today. Ohio University. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- Locus Online. June 17, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ^ Sedensky, Matt (June 18, 2014). "Daniel Keyes, novelist whose "Flowers for Algernon" is a classroom staple, dies at 86". Toronto Star. Associated Press. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
- ^ https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/palmbeachpost/name/aurea-keyes-obituary?id=18237696
- ^ "1960 Hugo Awards". Hugo Awards. Archived from the original on May 7, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
- Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis. Archived from the originalon April 3, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
- ^ "sfadb: Seiun Awards 1993". www.sfadb.com. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
- ^ "1967 Hugo Awards". Hugo Awards. Archived from the original on February 11, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
- ^ a b "Edgar Award Winners and Nominees Database". Mystery Writers of America. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
- ^ a b "Daniel Keyes: 40 Years of Algernon (excerpt)". Locus. June 1997. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
- ^ (film adaptation unproduced as of August 2014[update]) The film adaptation of The Minds of Billy Milligan, originally announced as A Crowded Room (under James Cameron) then as The Crowded Room (under Joel Schumacher), was at some point announced for 2008, but did not materialize. As of August 2014[update], the film remains in limbo [1] and its IMDb entry ("in-development entry". IMDb. Archived from the original on November 29, 2010. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
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External links
- Keyes speech on YouTube
Quotations related to Daniel Keyes at Wikiquote
- Daniel Keyes at IMDb
- Daniel F. Keyes at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database