Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

It's a bit like being at the tail end of a horrible prophecy, reading words written fifty-odd years ago and getting the creepy crawlies. Sure, things haven't gotten quite as bad as the dystopian future presented in Bradbury's masterpiece, but as far as allegory goes, we're soaking in the world of Fahrenheit 451.

Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to start fires, not put them out. He is a government appointed agent, sent to burn seditious texts and artwork (ie - anything remotely thought-provoking). Guy's life is slowly slipping down the tubes, a point brought home all too clearly when he's walking home from work (walking is a rarely enjoyed activity here, left to the crazies and loners) and he runs across Clarisse, a seventeen year old girl full of questions and curiosity. Her inquisitive nature plants a seed in Montag's brain, one that grows into an obsession. Who is she? Why does she ask so many questions and care about so many things? Why does she talk so much? Worse yet, why does she listen for replies and expect conversations?

Guy begins to question his life, his work, his reason for being. And the more he questions, the more he wants to learn what else is out there. But the only way to do that is through books, and he'll have to dabble in the black market to satiate his needs. He soon becomes a fugitive from the law as the world around him falls apart. Society prepares for war by insulating themselves in pop culture, while Montag plots to overthrow the government. The culmination of his efforts is a harrowing, white-knuckle run for survival that stands out as one of the best in modern literature.

Ray Bradbury, friendly author, curmudgeonly social observer, wry wit, makes astounding use of the written word to provide a text that seems timeless. His speculative fiction becomes more frightening as time passes. He gives us examples of bluetooth earpiece cell phones, large flat screen TVs, virtual reality, walkmans, supercomputers, and manipulative news media. Each of these little devices serves as a marker to remind us that the farther we get from Bradbury's fiction, the closer we seem to draw to his reality.