▁American ▁writer ▁Howard ▁Fast . ▁It ▁was ▁first ▁published ▁in ▁The ▁Magazine ▁of ▁Fant asy ▁and ▁Science ▁F iction ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 6 0 . ▁It ▁was ▁later ▁printed ▁bund led ▁with ▁" The ▁Mart ian ▁Sh op " ▁( 1 9 5 9 ) ▁in ▁The ▁Edge ▁of ▁Tom orrow . ▁A ▁full ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁was ▁also ▁included ▁in ▁The ▁P engu in ▁Science ▁F iction ▁Om n ibus ▁( 1 9 7 3 ) ▁edited ▁by ▁Brian ▁Ald iss . ▁It ▁is ▁now ▁freely ▁available ▁online . ▁ ▁Plot ▁introduction ▁Fast ' s ▁story ▁is ▁about ▁how ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁scient ists ▁and ▁educ ators , ▁through ▁a ▁controlled ▁environment , ▁succeed ▁in ▁raising ▁naturally ▁gift ed ▁children ▁into ▁" man - plus " — people ▁who ▁possess ▁compar atively ▁super - human ▁ab ilities . ▁They ▁possess ▁un par alle led ▁understanding ▁of ▁all ▁technical ▁subjects ▁such ▁as ▁math , ▁physics ▁and ▁un lock ▁natural ▁tele path y . ▁They ▁also ▁excel ▁at ▁physical ▁endeav ors , ▁such ▁as ▁sports ▁and ▁break ▁numerous ▁physical ▁records . ▁ ▁Their ▁controlled ▁environment , ▁an ▁isolated ▁comp ound ▁in ▁California ▁compr ising ▁, ▁is ▁a ▁government ▁spons ored ▁facility ▁granted ▁for ▁the ▁raising ▁of ▁the ▁children . ▁The ▁scient ists ▁were ▁given ▁fifteen ▁years , ▁later ▁extended ▁by ▁three ▁more ▁years ▁and ▁a ▁few ▁weeks , ▁to ▁experiment ally ▁raise ▁the ▁children . ▁By ▁a ▁very ▁early ▁age , ▁the ▁children ▁sur pass ▁their ▁teachers ' ▁knowledge . ▁