trying to place a famous Sci-Fi short story - can anyone help?

[bread_and_roses]

I read this years and years ago and it was tremendously powerful, but my tired old brain cannot recall title or author.

As I remember the story, an (artificial?) habitat on a far-off (?) planet serves as a sort of prison/psycho-lab. There are (possibly autistic or disable?) young child(ren?) left there to their own devices amid the dangers of a "wild" envirnoment - no adults/caretakers. A grown man, naked (?) and mad and dangerous, appears, a magnet for the hungry, terrified child(ren?) who desperately need adult help and care. He savagely rebuffs them (kills one?).

At least one child, though, survives and by the persistence of need, manages to eventually evoke a more normal, human response from the madman, who finally responds with some degree of human empathy and awareness.

The revelation is that the entire scenario was an artifical construct entirely for the benefit of the adult madman, who is a genius of some sort and valuable to whatever powers that be behind the "therapy."

it may have won a Nebula - I have a vague recollection of reading it in a collection. It was, as I say, extremely powerful, operating as a metaphor/parable on many levels as well as being a compelling read. anyone recognize it?

[Richard Steele]

1. Kinda rings a bell, but I can't place it. Kicking this in hopes you find an answer. nm

[mikelgb]

2. It sounds good but does nto ring a bell, but

DU helped me find a cherished book from my past so, KICK!

[pinto]

3. 'Brute Orbits', by George Zebrowski ?

I have a paper back edition from HarperPrism, 1999.

[friendly_iconoclast]

4. "The Death of Doctor Island" by Gene Wolfe

one of our greatest writers. Collected in "The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories
and Other Stories". (and no, that's not a missprint. It also has "The Doctor of Death
Island", of course.)

http://www.amazon.com/Island-Doctor-Death-Other-Stories/dp/0312863543

Gene Wolfe is the best writer no one (or almost no one) knows. If you don't know him,
I urge you to seek out his work.

[mzteris]

6. I'm reading his short story collection

Stories From an Old Hotel - interesting stuff.

I liked The Urth of the New Sun series when I read it 20 years ago.

One of my favs has to be Soldier of the Myst.

[bread_and_roses]

5. Thank you all! (n/t)