Alger, AL juhr, Horatio (1832-1899), was an American author of novels for boys. He became famous for his stories about boys who rose from poverty to wealth and fame through hard work, virtuous living, and luck. Alger's works reinforced an image of the United States as a land where dreams of material prosperity, high social position, and power could come true. The name Horatio Alger is still used to describe fictional and real-life individuals who achieve "rags to riches" success through their own efforts.