Censorship in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451

Book excerpt: Responding to a time of unparalleled censorship, from the McCarthy trials, to book burning festivals in Nazi Germany, to the millions of poets and writers imprisoned or executed by the Soviet government, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 offers a vision of the world in which the elimination of challenging ideas tears away at the fabric of free speech and society. This compelling edition offers readers a collection of eighteen essays that contextualize and expand upon the theme of censorship in Fahrenheit 451. The book includes an interview with Bradbury and also covers the author's life and work. Other discussions include contemporary perspectives on censorship, a discussion of when governments might need to restrict ideas, what we risk when we censor the internet, and the importance of libraries and access to books.