Bradbury, Ray (text); Denison, Ben (illustrations)

FAHRENHEIT 451 [IN] PLAYBOY: THE MEN'S ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE - VOL.1, NOS.4-6 (MARCH-MAY, 1954)

Chicago: HMH Publishing Co., Inc., 1954. First Editions. Item #8273

Three slim quarto volumes (28.25cm); original pictorial wrappers, stapled; 52pp per issue; illus. The March issue has a faint vertical crease at center of front wrapper, with a thin 3" abraded spot along the center of the spine-fold; complete, and Very Good. April issue has a thin 3" abraded spot along the upper spine-fold, with a few tiny splash marks at lower right corner of two preliminary leaves; complete, and Very Good. May issue has been cut slightly awkwardly at the time of production (more trapezoidal than rectangular); some faint, shallow moisture staining at lower spine-fold, tiny tear to upper front wrapper, with lower corners showing a few faint creases and tiny tears; complete, and Very Good.

Complete serialization of Bradbury's best-known work, based on his 1951 short story "The Fireman." "Totalitarian state outlaws virtually all books, especially the classics; an underground form of people who memorize great books to preserve them for posterity. The plot revolves around a "fireman's" conversion from book burner to preserver" (Barron, Anatomy of Wonder 3-61). The March and April issues print for the first time a pair of two-page pictorial spreads by Ben Denison. Basis for François Truffaut's classic 1966 film, starring Oskar Werner and Julie Christie, and Ramin Bahrani's more recent adaptation for HBO, starring Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon.

Price: $1,850.00