Daniel Keyes was an American writer renowned for his novel Flowers for Algernon. Born on August 9, 1927, in Brooklyn, New York, Keyes was recognized with the Author Emeritus honor by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2000.

At the age of 17, Keyes joined the U.S. Maritime Service as a ship's purser. He later pursued a B.A. in psychology from Brooklyn College. Venturing into fashion photography, Keyes co-founded a photography studio before earning a Master's Degree in English and American Literature while teaching English in New York City public schools.

In the early 1950s, he worked as an editor of the pulp magazine Marvel Science Fiction.

Keyes passed away on June 15, 2014, in Boca Raton, Florida.