Keep Out

"Keep Out" by Fredric Brown is a science fiction short story written in the early 1950s. The narrative explores the themes of adaptation, identity, and rebellion, set against the backdrop of a future where humanity attempts to colonize Mars. The central topic revolves around the genetic modifications made to a group of children who are being raised in controlled conditions to become the first Martians. The story unfolds through the perspective of one of the children, who has been cleverly conditioned to adapt to the harsh Martian environment through the use of a miraculous substance called daptine. As they approach maturity, the children are told about their unique upbringing and their pivotal role as the first inhabitants of Mars. However, a dark twist reveals that the children harbor deep-seated resentment towards their Earthly teachers and caretakers, whom they deem inferior. As they prepare to take their first steps into the Martian world, they plan a violent uprising to eliminate the adults who raised them, asserting their claim to the new planet. This leads to a chilling conclusion as the children reject their Earthly origins, eagerly embracing their new identity as Martians. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Fredric Brown was an American science fiction, fantasy, and mystery writer. He is known for his use of humor and for his mastery of the "short short" form—stories of one to three pages, often with ingenious plotting devices and surprise endings. Humor and a postmodern outlook carried over into his novels as well. One of his stories, "Arena", was adapted to a 1967 episode of the American television series Star Trek.