Ray Bradbury's dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 was first published in 1953.
The novel appeared in a period when concerns about censorship, mass media, and cultural conformity were especially prominent. Bradbury developed the story from earlier short fiction, including “The Fireman,” which was published in 1951. The expanded novel was issued by Ballantine Books.
The title refers to the approximate temperature at which book paper catches fire, although the exact ignition temperature can vary with paper composition and conditions. A common mix-up is to treat 451 degrees Fahrenheit as the novel's publication year or as a universally fixed scientific ignition point.
Fahrenheit 451 follows Guy Montag, a fireman whose society burns books rather than protecting them. Its publication date places it between Bradbury's earlier short fiction and his later reputation as a major science-fiction author.