Books like The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
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Story type
What it is about
- Theocracy
- Misogyny
- Dystopias
- Pregnancy
- Man-woman relationships
- Women
Where it happens
Kind of book
- Novel
Ages
- Adult
Awards
- Los Angeles Times Book Prize
- Governor General's Award for English-language fiction
- Arthur C. Clarke Award
About this book
In a future shaped by environmental disaster and falling birthrates, a Second American Civil War produces a new and rigid society. (condensed from its Library of Congress summary) It is book 1 of the Handmaid's Tale series, set in United States, and listed for an audience of adults.
Where this comes from: Library of Congress · Wikidata · Open Library subject
Books like this one
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Why: Both are dystopian and science fiction novels, set in United States.
What both books share
- dystopian
The Handmaid's Tale: "Dystopian fiction" (OL subject); "Fiction, dystopian" (OL subject); "FICTION / Dystopian" (OL subject); "Dystopian" (OL subject)
Fahrenheit 451: "Fiction, dystopian" (OL subject); "dystopian fiction" (WD genre) - science fiction
The Handmaid's Tale: "science fiction" (OL subject); "FICTION / Science Fiction" (OL subject); "science fiction" (WD genre)
Fahrenheit 451: "science fiction" (OL subject); "Fiction, science fiction, general" (OL subject); "Science fiction, american" (OL subject); "science fiction" (WD genre) - novels
The Handmaid's Tale: "social science fiction novel" (WD genre)
Fahrenheit 451: "philosophical novel" (WD genre) - United States
The Handmaid's Tale: "United States" (WD narrative location)
Fahrenheit 451: "United States" (WD narrative location)
- dystopian
-
Why: Both are dystopian and science fiction books.
What both books share
- dystopian
The Handmaid's Tale: "Dystopian fiction" (OL subject); "Fiction, dystopian" (OL subject); "FICTION / Dystopian" (OL subject); "Dystopian" (OL subject)
Brave New World: "Dystopian" (OL subject); "dystopian fiction" (WD genre); "Dystopian fiction" (LoC 655) - science fiction
The Handmaid's Tale: "science fiction" (OL subject); "FICTION / Science Fiction" (OL subject); "science fiction" (WD genre)
Brave New World: "Science fiction" (OL subject); "Science-fiction" (OL subject); "Fiction, science fiction, general" (OL subject); "science fiction" (WD genre)
- dystopian
-
Why: Both are dystopian and science fiction books.
What both books share
- dystopian
The Handmaid's Tale: "Dystopian fiction" (OL subject); "Fiction, dystopian" (OL subject); "FICTION / Dystopian" (OL subject); "Dystopian" (OL subject)
The Road: "Fiction, dystopian" (OL subject); "dystopian fiction" (WD genre) - science fiction
The Handmaid's Tale: "science fiction" (OL subject); "FICTION / Science Fiction" (OL subject); "science fiction" (WD genre)
The Road: "Fiction, science fiction, general" (OL subject); "science fiction" (WD genre)
- dystopian
See all books like The Handmaid's Tale
What they share, at a glance
The Handmaid's Tale next to each book above. A dot means both books' records carry that fact.
| Book | Science fiction | Dystopian | United States | Arthur C. Clarke Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fahrenheit 451 | shared | shared | shared | not shared |
| Brave New World | shared | shared | not shared | not shared |
| The Road | shared | shared | not shared | not shared |
| Nineteen Eighty-Four | shared | shared | not shared | not shared |
| Ready Player One | shared | shared | not shared | not shared |
| The Hunger Games | shared | shared | not shared | not shared |
| Divergent | shared | shared | not shared | not shared |
| Jurassic Park | shared | not shared | not shared | not shared |
| Snow Crash | shared | not shared | not shared | not shared |
| Station Eleven | shared | not shared | not shared | shared |
| Catching Fire | shared | shared | not shared | not shared |
| Mockingjay | shared | shared | not shared | not shared |
Tap a dot to open the record the match comes from.
The Handmaid's Tale: the facts, checked
Each line names the page it was checked on and the date.
- First published
- First published in August 1985. Source: Wikidata, checked November 6, 2026.
- Awards and honors
- It received the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1987. Source: Wikidata, citing clarkeaward.com, checked November 6, 2026.
- Awards and honors
- It received the Audie Award in 2013. Source: Wikidata, citing locusmag.com, checked November 6, 2026.
- Awards and honors
- Wikidata lists the NPR Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books for this book. Source: Wikidata, with no reference of its own, checked November 6, 2026.
- Awards and honors
- Wikidata lists the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction (1985) for this book. Source: Wikidata, with no reference of its own, checked November 6, 2026.
- Awards and honors
- Wikidata lists the Los Angeles Times Book Prize (1986) for this book. Source: Wikidata, with no reference of its own, checked November 6, 2026.
See the US print edition of The Handmaid's Tale and where to buy it.
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Common questions
What does the Why line mean?
It names what the two books have in common, using only facts found in both books' catalog records. Tap What both books share to see those facts and where they came from. When the shared facts are few, the line is short. It never quotes reviews, ratings or reader reactions.