Flowers for Algernon

Daniel Keyes

1959 (magazine) or 1966 (book)

Charlie is a clinical moron. By day, he sweeps up in a bakery where his fellow workers mock his halting efforts to better himself for Charlie is conscious of himself enough to know that he isn't as 'good' as those around him. At night he attends classes where he struggles to learn basic reading and writing.

Somehow he gets on a research programme that hopes to boost people's intelligence - initial experiments on rats looked promising and it was time to try the treatment out on a human, and who better than a friendless moron to try it on?

Again the initial effects are good - Charlie's abilities are boosted to normal levels and he rapidly surpasses his fellow classmates and he notices that his teacher isn't that bad looking. But the treatment doesn't just leave Charlie with normal intelligence - he goes on developing. First passing genius, then super genius! His workmates who didn't mind normal too much, found genius unbearable and super genius incomprehensible.

But there's a catch.

Of course!

The rat died far before it should have and the signs of decay in Charlie become unmistakable. Will he fit back into his old life, and will his work-mates accept him?

The powerful way that Charlie's decline is described is the real strength of this book and well worth getting it for.

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This is part of the Science Fiction Masterworks series.

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