Ray Bradbury – “Coda” from Fahrenheit 451 (1979)

Ray Bradbury – “Coda” from Fahrenheit 451 (1979)

Censorship, Freedom of Expression, Authorial Integrity, Fahrenheit 451

This is the 1979 “Coda” written by Ray Bradbury and published as an afterword in later editions of Fahrenheit 451. In this essay, Bradbury condemns the censorship of his novel and defends the integrity of literary works. He warns that censorship comes not only from governments, but from overzealous editors and interest groups.

Ray Bradbury

Katherine Smith’s English Class website: https://katherinesmithth.weebly.com/uploads/9/7/1/7/9717809/coda_from_ray_bradbury_for_fahrenheit_451.pdf

Originally Del Rey Books (1979); educational hosting via Katherine Smith's English class site

1979

Used under fair dealing for educational, non-commercial purposes. Original copyright © Ray Bradbury or his estate.

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f451_coda_katherine_pdf_1979

United States, 1979

“There is more than one way to burn a book. And the world is full of people running about with lit matches.” Bradbury’s 1979 Coda reflects on the broader dangers of censorship beyond fire and flames.

Printed afterword in the 1979 Del Rey paperback edition of Fahrenheit 451