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Fahrenheit 451

The author’s death prompted me to read this modern classic. Of a similar “dystopian future” era/genre to I am Legend, 1984 and The Man in the High Castle, it’s clearly the fruit of post-war, atomic age fear – a place where the threat of totalitari…

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The author’s death prompted me to read this modern classic. Of a similar “dystopian future” era/genre to I am Legend, 1984 and The Man in the High Castle, it’s clearly the fruit of post-war, atomic age fear – a place where the threat of totalitarianism was real and the paranoid witch hunts of McCarthy were in full anger. What a damaging and damaged time that was.

One thought – it could almost be the prequel to one of my favourite books, Ridley Walker by Russell Hoban. But I won’t spoil either by making the connection.

But this is not a misery fest. Nor does it feel like science fiction – it’s just a great novel. File under “why hadn’t I read this before?” I shall read more Ray Bradbury.