One of a series of top-quality fiction for schools. Charlie Gordon, who desperately wants to be able to read and write, undergoes a brain operation which dramatically increases his intelligence. But can his emotional development keep pace with the intellectual?

'A masterpiece of poignant brilliance . . . heartbreaking' Guardian Charlie Gordon, a floor sweeper born with an unusually low IQ, has been chosen as the perfect subject for an experimental surgery that doctors hope will increase his intelligence - a procedure that has been highly successful when tested on a lab mouse named Algernon. All Charlie wants is to be smart and have friends, but the treatement turns him into a genius. Then Algernon begins to fade. What will become of Charlie?

Charlie Gordon, IQ 68, is a floor sweeper and the gentle butt of everyone's jokes - until an experiment in the enhancement of human intelligence turns him into a genius. But then Algernon, the mouse whose triumphal experimental transformation preceded his, fades and dies, and Charlie has to face the possibility that his salvation was only temporary. Winner of the 1960 Hugo Award for Best Short Story, and subsequently expanded into a Hugo-nominated novel, Flowers for Algernon earned Daniel Keyes the honour of SFWA Author Emeritus in 2000 for his contribution to Science Fiction and Fantasy. 'Heartbreaking and beautiful. Required reading, as far as I am concerned' - Wil Wheaton 'A masterpiece of poignant brilliance . . . heartbreaking, and utterly, completely brilliant' - The Guardian 'Excellent . . . extremely moving' - The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Welcome to The Best Of The Masterworks: a selection of the finest in science fiction

The classic novel about a daring experiment in human intelligence 'A masterpiece of poignant brilliance . . . heartbreaking, and utterly, completely brilliant' Guardian 'A timeless tearjerker' Independent Charlie Gordon, IQ 68, is a floor sweeper and the gentle butt of everyone's jokes - until an experiment in the enhancement of human intelligence turns him into a genius. But then Algernon, the mouse whose triumphal experimental transformation preceded his, fades and dies, and Charlie has to face the possibility that his salvation was only temporary. Readers can't stop reading Flowers For Algernon: 'I am finding it hard to put into words the vast range of emotions I experienced while reading this tale of hope, perseverance, truth and humanity . . . I'm a huge fan of science fiction that doesn't seem too far away; something that I could imagine being just around the corner - and that's how I felt about Flowers for Algernon' Goodreads reviewer, 'You're watching Charlie, the main character, go through an experimental procedure that increases his IQ. The whole book, written in diary entries, let us see how it affects his life and how he struggles through it. I rarely cry while reading a book but I couldn't help myself here. It's a classic for a reason. Read it. You won't be able to put it down' Goodreads reviewer, 'Heartbreaking and beautiful. Required reading, as far as I am concerned' Wil Wheaton 'This book is extraordinary, one of my favorites. It is a fast read but is is very powerful and heartbreaking. I read it in the plane and I felt a little embarrassed when I started to weep at the end of the book' Goodreads reviewer, 'One of those stories I wish I would have read years earlier. It's simply marvellous. It's about the nature of intelligence and how intelligence can be divisive. It's a very emotional book' Goodreads reviewer,

With more than five million copies sold, "Flowers for Algernon" is the beloved, classic story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for intelligence mirrors that of Algernon, an extraordinary lab mouse. In poignant diary entries, Charlie tells how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental procedure takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment seems to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance--until Algernon begins his sudden, unexpected deterioration. Will the same happen to Charlie?
An American classic that inspired the award-winning movie Charly.

The powerful, moving and turbulent novel of Sally Porter and the multiple personalities she has no idea she lives with... From the award-winning bestselling author of FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON: 'Heartbreaking, and utterly, completely brilliant' GUARDIAN Sally Porter is perfectly 'ordinary'. A waitress, divorcee, and loner in the great city. But, though she is unaware of it, she is also four other, quite different people: Nola, the cold independent artist who has a studio in Greenwich Village; Derry, the happy-go-lucky tomboy; Bella, the highly-sexed live wire with a talent for singing and dancing; and finally Jinx, the hate-filled killer. Whenever events put too much of a strain on Sally Porter, she feels a headache and a blackout coming on - and a new character takes over. If there is a man to be fascinated, she will become Bella. If there is an intellectual problem, she will become Nola. And - as happens in the opening scene of the novel - if there is a rapist to be dealt with, she becomes the vicious Jinx. It is the task of the wise and patient psychiatrist, Dr. Roger Ash - a man who nevertheless has severe problems of his own - to deal with this case of multiple personality and, through painstaking therapy, to try to fuse the four disparate personalities into "the fifth Sally."

'Fascinating' LA Times '[Keyes] has carried it off brilliantly, bringing not only a fine clarity but a special warmth and empathy' Washington Post NOW ON NETFLIX Billy Milligan was a man tormented by twenty-four distinct personalities battling for supremacy - a battle that culminated when he awoke in jail, arrested for the kidnap and rape of three women. In a landmark trial, Billy was acquitted of his crimes by reason of insanity caused by multiple personality disorder - the first such court decision in history. Among the twenty-four are: Philip, a petty criminal; Kevin, who dealt drugs; April, whose only ambition was to kill Billy's stepfather; Adalana, the shy, affection-starved lesbian who 'used' Billy's body in the rapes that led to his arrest; David, the eight-year-old 'keeper of the pain'; and the Teacher, the sum of all Billy's alter egos fused into one. In The Minds of Billy Milligan, Daniel Keyes brings to light the most remarkable and harrowing case of multiple personality ever recorded.

Billy Milligan was a man tormented by twenty-four distinct personalities battling for supremacy over his body -- a battle that culminated when he awoke in jail, arrested for the kidnap and rape of three women. In a landmark trial, Billy was acquitted by reason of insanity caused by multiple personality disorder -- the first such decision in history. Now, plunge into the mind of this tortured young man and his splintered, terrifying world.

Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, the powerful, classic story about a man who receives an operation that turns him into a genius...and introduces him to heartache. Charlie Gordon is about to embark upon an unprecedented journey. Born with an unusually low IQ, he has been chosen as the perfect subject for an experimental surgery that researchers hope will increase his intelligence-a procedure that has already been highly successful when tested on a lab mouse named Algernon. As the treatment takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment appears to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance, until Algernon suddenly deteriorates. Will the same happen to Charlie?

The ultimate 'what if' novel, from the million-copy-bestselling author of FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON: 'A masterpiece of poignant brilliance ... heartbreaking' Guardian Karen and Barney Stark should never have married. Childless, uncomfortable and incompatible, their marriage has not been a success, and the lack of a child only makes the tension between them worse. And living their lives to the beat of a fertility clock only adds to the increasingly volatile atmosphere. When an incident at Barney's workplace causes them both to be unknowingly contaminated with radioactive dust, they also become pariahs - in their neighbourhood and with their families. But things are only going to get worse. Karen discovers she is pregnant and as their closest friends become frightened enemies, the dream of becoming parents turns into a nightmare...

In Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes created an unlikely duo-a laboratory mouse and a man-who captured the hearts of millions of readers around the world. Now, in Algernon, Charlie, and I, Keyes reveals his methods of creating fiction as well as the heartbreaks and joys of being published. With admirable insight he shares with readers, writers, teachers, and students the creative life behind his classic novel, included here in its original short-story form.
All those who love stories, storytelling, and the remarkable characters of Charlie and Algernon will delight in accompanying their creator on this inspirational voyage of discovery.

Literary scholars face a new and often baffling reality in the classroom: students spend more time looking at glowing screens than reading printed text. The social lives of these students take place in cyberspace instead of the student pub. Their favorite narratives exist in video games, not books. How do teachers who grew up in a different world engage these students without watering down pedagogy? Clint Burnham and Paul Budra have assembled a group of specialists in visual poetry, graphic novels, digital humanities, role-playing games, television studies, and, yes, even the middle-brow novel, to address this question. Contributors give a brief description of their subject, investigate how it confronts traditional notions of the literary, and ask what contemporary literary theory can illuminate about their text before explaining how their subject can be taught in the 21st-century classroom.