Celebrate the 40th anniversary of this timeless classic with a special edition featuring a new foreword by the author and a message that is as relevant today as when it was first published. Since the late 1940s, Ray Bradbury has been revered for his works of science fiction and fantasy. With more than 4 million copies in print, Fahrenheit 451 - originally published in 1953 - remains his most acclaimed work. Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which book paper burns. Fahrenheit 451 is a short novel set in the (perhaps near) future when firemen burn books forbidden by the totalitarian brave new world regime. The hero, according to Mr. Bradbury, is a book burner who suddenly discovers that books are flesh and blood ideas and cry out silently when put to the torch. Today, when libraries and schools are still burning certain books, Fahrenheit 451 is a work of even greater impact and timeliness.