Books

Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1986. Atwood's chilling dystopian novel, set in "a world ruled by militaristic fundamentalists in which sexual pleasure is forbidden. Conception and childbirth have become difficult and the handmaid of the title belongs to a special breeding stock. The story is annotated by a historian of the future, whose shape is not revealed" (Barron, Anatomy of Wonder 4-31). Winner of the Governor General's Award, the first Arthur C. Clarke Award, and a nominee for both the 1986 Booker Prize and Nebula Award. A compelling presentation copy inscribed to Miller (1923-1996), best known for his 1959 novel A Canticle for Leibowitz, set in a Catholic monastery 600 years after World War III, as civilization rebuilds itself. It remains a cornerstone work in the genre, winning the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1961. Miller's treatment of religion and church vs. state likely resonated with Atwood, who tackled those themes at length in her novel. A distinguished copy,…

The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, first published in 1985. It is set in a near-future New England, in a totalitarian state resembling a theonomy that has overthrown the United States government. The novel focuses on the journey of the handmaid Offred, her life in this regime, and her role in society to produce children against her will.