Ray Bradbury: Short Stories Fahrenheit 451

Although Bradbury is famous for his short stories, his best-known piece of literature is his full-length novel, Fahrenheit 451. Set in the future, special task firemen are given the job to burn unwanted books. The government has the ability to track down those who try to retain their books illegally, and they are ruthless in their hunt. Fahrenheit 451 has received widespread critical acclaim since it was published in 1953. It stands with other dystopian novels, 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, as critiques of society's reliance on technology, the threat of censorship, and all-encompassing government control.