Limited edition of ‘FAHRENHEIT 451’ was bound in abestos to stop it from burning. Poison ++

Back in 1953, they clearly didn’t know what we do now about abestos. And I’m glad that’s so. Sure, it is all poisonous and everything. Sure, sure. However, it also can do cool things, like prevent copies of Fahrenheit 451 from burning. That’s some high concept shit! Let me get a copy. I’ll huff it. Gain Bradbury powers. Or cancer. Probably cancer.

io9:

In 1953, Ballantine released a limited edition run of Ray Bradbury’s book-burning novelFahrenheit 451 that might survive a visit from the firemen. Two hundred numbered and signed copies of the book were bound in Johns-Manville Quinterra, a chrysolite asbestos material. The copies are much sought after by collectors; currently Abe Books has a copy for sale for $20,000. No word on whether owners of these editions have been at particularly high risk for lung cancer.

Fahrenheit 451 isn’t the only fire-retardant genre book; Stephen King had 26 copies of Firestarter bound in asbestos.

Images by BookBid on Abe Books. Copy pictured is for sale.

Ray Bradbury: Extremely Rare Signed First Edition of Fahrenheit 451 with Asbestos Boards [Heritage Auctions]
The Ray Bradbury Chronicles: Tribute to a Literary Legend [Abe Books]
Discovered via reddit.