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Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian science fiction novel and Ray Bradbury’s most acclaimed work. In it, America has dwindled into a book-hating society and books are burnt upon discovery. Summary of the Book Guy Montag is a fireman but not the kind who saves people from burning buildings. He saves them from the evil of freethinking that stems from the evil of books. He burns any book he finds, and he believes that this frees people from discord and depression. However, Montag is plagued by unhappiness and distrust in his own marriage. Even as the Hound, the mechanical monstrosity of the Fire Department steers towards those who defy all authority and stockpile books, there are signs that there may be books right in Montag’s home. This book brings alive the fear of book burning like never before, and it shows the relevance of books in a world where freethinking is assumed to be a basic right. Basic rights are, after all, easily terminated. About Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury was an American novelist and short story writer known for his work on the fantasy, science fiction, horror and mystery fiction genres. He is also known for his science fiction and horror stories collections, The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man. Bradbury won the Prometheus "Hall of Fame" Award, the "Retro" Hugo Award in 1954, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature and the Commonwealth Club of California Gold Medal. This novel was adapted into a film by François Truffaut, starring Oskar Werner and Julie Christie. Bradbury personally recorded the audiobook of this novel, and he was nominated for a Spoken Word Grammy Award. Philosophical Significance of the Book This book stands as one of the most famous and widely-read stories against government censorship. Bradbury also infused the story with themes of illiteracy and the dangers of allowing an infatuation with mass media to run amok.