Naomi R. Mercer: Why should you read "The Handmaid's Tale"?

Why should you read "The Handmaid's Tale"?

Margaret Atwood's speculative fiction masterpiece "The Handmaid's Tale" explores the consequences of complacency and how power can be wielded unfairly. Atwood’s chilling vision of a dystopian regime has captured readers' imaginations since its publication in 1985. How does this book maintain such staying power? Naomi R. Mercer investigates. [Directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen, narrated by Susan Zimmerman, music by Stephen LaRosa].

Speculative fiction like 'The Handmaid’s Tale' uses a chilling future to spotlight real dangers facing society. Inspired by historical events and personal research, the novel imagines a United States overtaken by theocratic rule, where women lose rights and identity. Details such as color-coded clothing and the regulation of language create a believable and terrifying world. The story endures because it reveals how ordinary people can become complicit in injustice or resist it.