Daniel Keyes

Daniel Keyes (born August 9, 1927 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York) is an American author, primarily of science fiction. He is best known for his award-winning novelette Flowers for Algernon (1959), which he adapted into his same-name first novel (1966). The story, considered a classic frequently assigned in English literature classes, won a Hugo Award for Best Short Fiction, while the novel won a Nebula Award. It has been adapted several times for other media, most prominently as the 1968 film Charly, starring Cliff Robertson, who won an Academy Award for Best Actor, and Claire Bloom.

Early life and career

At age 17, Keyes joined the U.S. Maritime Service as ship's purser. He obtained a B.A. in psychology from Brooklyn College, and after a stint in fashion photography, earned a Master's degree in English and American literature at night while teaching English in New York City public schools during the day and writing on weekends.

In the early 1950s, he was editor of the pulp magazine Marvel Science Fiction for publisher Martin Goodman, who also published the comic book lines Timely Comics and Atlas Comics, the 1940s and 1950s precursors, respectively, of Marvel Comics. After Goodman ceased publishing pulps in favor of paperback books and men's adventure magazines, Keyes became associate editor of Atlas Comics, under editor-in-chief and art director Stan Lee. Circa 1952, Keyes was one of several staff writers, officially titled editors, who wrote for such horror and science fiction comics as Journey into Unknown Worlds, for which Keyes wrote two stories with artist Basil Wolverton. From 1955-56, Keyes wrote for the celebrated EC Comics, including its titles Shock Illustrated and Confessions Illustrated, under both his own name and the pseudonyms Kris Daniel and A.D. Locke

He went on to teach creative writing at Wayne State University, and in 1966 became an English and creative writing professor at Ohio University, in Athens, Ohio, where he was honored as a professor emeritus in 2000.

A 1988 edition of his novel Flowers for Algernon says he was a member of the English department at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, circa that year.

Writing

The novel Flowers for Algernon has been challenged and even banned in some schools and libraries for sexual scenes and the touchy subject of mental retardation.

Personal

Keyes married Aurea Vazquez in 1952. The couple have two daughters, Hillary Ann and Leslie Joan Keyes. As of 2006, the couple resided in Boca Raton, Florida.

References

American science fiction writers | Hugo Award winning authors | Nebula Award winning authors | 1927 births | Living people

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Early life and career

Writing

Personal

References