Books Like The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood has a particular pull. In a theocratic regime that has stripped women of their rights, one woman is forced to bear children for the ruling class.

What tends to stick with readers is its thought-provoking, mysterious and dystopian feel. A dystopia that feels uncomfortably plausible rather than far-off. Below are 7 books that carry that feeling in different ways, matched on shared mood, themes and reading experience. The Handmaid's Tale is a medium, fast-paced read (reading level: moderate), so we've noted where each pick is quicker, slower or heavier.

The book you loved

The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood

7 books you might enjoy

1.
1984
George Orwell
If it was the thought-provoking and mysterious side of The Handmaid's Tale you loved, 1984 delivers it too. Both carry the #dystopian and #chilling tags.
Medium · Fast pace · Moderate
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2.
Brave New World
Aldous Huxley
If it was the thought-provoking side of The Handmaid's Tale you loved, Brave New World delivers it too. Both carry the #dystopian tag. The pace is easier than The Handmaid's Tale's.
Medium · Easy pace · Moderate
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3.
Never Let Me Go
Kazuo Ishiguro
If it was the thought-provoking side of The Handmaid's Tale you loved, Never Let Me Go delivers it too. It's an easier read than The Handmaid's Tale.
Medium · Slow pace · Easy to follow
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4.
Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451 shares The Handmaid's Tale's thought-provoking appeal. Both carry the #dystopian tag. It's the quicker read of the two.
Short · Fast pace · Easy to follow
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5.
Slaughterhouse-Five
Kurt Vonnegut
Slaughterhouse-Five shares The Handmaid's Tale's thought-provoking appeal. It's the quicker read of the two.
Short · Fast pace · Moderate
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6.
The Left Hand of Darkness
Ursula K. Le Guin
Like The Handmaid's Tale, The Left Hand of Darkness is thought-provoking. The pace is slower than The Handmaid's Tale's.
Medium · Slow pace · Moderate
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7.
Dune
Frank Herbert
Like The Handmaid's Tale, Dune is thought-provoking. Expect a bigger commitment than The Handmaid's Tale.
Long · Slow pace · Challenging
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