Flowers for Algernon

"Flowers for Algernon" is part of the mandatory reading program in American schools. This is the only story in the science fiction genre by an author who was awarded twice: first for the short story and then for the novel with the same title, characters, and plot. 32-year-old Charlie Gordon is mentally challenged. For the dream of becoming smart, he agrees to participate in a dangerous scientific experiment. Changes in Charlie occur before our eyes. The first reports are full of spelling mistakes; he finds it hard to express his thoughts. Gradually, Charlie begins to write more accurately and to see the world in a new way... Geniuses and idiots are two sides of the same coin. They have different IQs, differing living conditions, but they are similar in one respect — often both are infinitely lonely. Charlie has a twin — the mouse Algernon. Only Charlie understands the mouse's behavior and that he himself is assigned the same role of a test subject. 

Daniel Keyes is a science fiction writer who has received the two most prestigious awards — the Hugo and the Nebula, for two works with the same title: the short story "Flowers for Algernon" and the novel of the same name written based on it. Almost 20 years later, the documentary novel "The Mysterious Story of Billy Milligan" was published, which secured Keyes's worldwide fame.