Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes is a classic science-fiction novel that explores intelligence, human emotion, and the meaning of life.

The story is told through the journal entries of Charlie Gordon, a man with a low IQ who undergoes an experimental surgery to increase his intelligence. At first, the procedure works, and Charlie becomes a genius, surpassing those around him. However, he soon realizes that intelligence alone does not guarantee happiness or social acceptance. The story also parallels the experiences of a lab mouse named Algernon, who underwent the same experiment.

At its core, Flowers for Algernon is about the nature of human intelligence, the complexity of emotions, and the fragility of human relationships, raising deep questions about identity, ethics, and the cost of scientific progress.