“Ignoring isn’t the same as ignorance, you have to work at it.”
Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is one of the most influential dystopia books of all time. In it, she introduces readers to a near-future United States, which is now known as the Republic of Gilead following the seizure of power by a fundamentalist, totalitarian regime. In this new world, women such as Offred have become Handmaids. Handmaids are no longer allowed to read, live in the pious service of male Commanders and must allow themselves to be impregnated once a month on the back of a fertility crisis that has rattled the nation. Delivered with hauntingly beautiful prose and sharp attention to detail, The Handmaid’s Tale remains one of the most timely and eerily plausible dystopian novels available on the shelves. If you’re on the hunt for more tales that explore authoritarianism, power and female agency, join us at What We Reading for the best books like The Handmaid’s Tale!
The Power – Naomi Alderman
First up on our list of books like The Handmaid’s Tale is Naomi Alderman’s sci-fi story, The Power. The story opens with a collection of characters; an affluent boy in Nigeria kicks back in his swimming pool, the devout parents of an adopted child hide their true nature, an ambitious American clambers to climb the steps of political power and a tough-looking girl in London makes her way home to an unhappy family.
Then, a new force emerges, setting off a series of events that send all of their lives colliding with devastating consequences. With a very Atwood feel, this feminist novel introduces a world where teenage girls are infused with remarkable powers. With the ability to conjure electrical charges, the world and all of its traditional power dynamics are upended in an instant.
The Testaments (The Handmaid’s Tale #2) – Margaret Atwood
Winning the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fiction, The Testaments is the long-awaited sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. When the van door slammed on Offred’s future at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale, readers had no idea whether it was freedom, prison or certain that awaited her.
This follow-up tale whisks readers back to the heart of the Republic of Gilead fifteen years after Offred stepped foot into the unknown with the testaments of three female narrators from the country. Through them, readers are re-acquainted with the fundamentalist totalitarian patriarchal regime as it continues to cling to power. However, unrest and rebellion simmers not far beneath the surface.
Children Of Eden (Children Of Eden #1) – Joey Graceffa
Rowan is a second child in a world where population control measures mean she is an outlaw marked for death. She is unable to go to school, unable to make friends or receive the eye implants that will mark her as a true member of Eden. Outside of Eden, the Earth is a ravaged, poisonous wasteland. Most of the animals have been killed by a man-made disaster, but a small portion of humanity has survived in a small pocket thanks to EcoPanopticon, a massive computer program that has hijacked all technology and promises to heal the planet. Until then, humans will have to wait.
With the tight population controls, Rowan has been hidden away at her family’s compound for sixteen years. However, desperate to see the world outside, she makes a daring and perilous escape that sees her become a renegade on the run. Joey Graceffa’s Children of Eden is one of the best books like The Handmaid’s Tale for anyone looking for another creepy sci-fi novel where a repressive future sees the population rate being tightly controlled.
Vox – Christina Dalcher
Like The Handmaid’s Tale, Christina Dalcher imagines a near-future United States where half the population find their voices silenced in her feminist dystopian story, Vox. On the day when the government issues a degree that women are no longer able to say more than one hundred words per day, Dr Jean McClellan is certain such a thing could never happen.
Yet, this is just the beginning. Soon women are outlawed from having jobs. Girls are no longer taught to read or write. Whilst once upon a time females spoke up to sixteen thousand words a day, they are now left with just one hundred to make their voices heard. But, for herself, her daughter and every other woman silenced across the country, Jean is determined to reclaim her voice.
The Jewel (The Lone City #1) – Amy Ewing
The Jewel has many wealth, beauty and prestige. But for Violet, the Jewel has always meant servitude. Born and brought up in the Marsh, Violet is destined for the Jewel. She is trained as a surrogate for the elite and brought before the Duchess of the Lake at auction. She soon discovers that beneath the glittering exterior is a cruel, backstabbing and violent reality that becoming a part of royal life entails.
In one of the best books like The Handmaid’s Tale centred around female agency, Amy Ewing’s The Jewel follows Violet as she is forced to accept the realities of her new life, all whilst she continues to fight for survival. Things are further complicated for her when she meets a handsome boy also under the Duchess’ control. As a forbidden romance blossoms between them, their illicit affair has consequences that will have consequences that cost more than either of them could have bargained for.
Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
No list of the best books like The Handmaid’s Tale would be complete without mentioning Ray Bradbury’s classic, Fahrenheit 451. In another dystopia tale that explores how power and control are exerted through the removal of literature, readers are introduced to Guy Montag, a man whose job is to destroy books and the houses in which these now-illegal commodities are being hidden.
Montag never questions the destruction he causes, returning at the end of each day to his mundane home life and wife, Mildred, who spends all of her days with her television ‘family’. Yet, when he meets a young and eccentric neighbour, Clarisse, he is given an insight into a time before when people were able to think through books rather than the mindless chatter of television. Soon, Montag starts to question everything he has ever known.
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Red Clocks – Leni Zumas
In this eerily cognisant dystopian novel, abortion has been made illegal across the United States of America, in-vitro fertilisation is banned and the Personhood Amendment has granted the right of life, liberty and property to every embryo in the land. Set in a small fishing village in Oregon, five remarkably different women grapple with these new restrictions as well as the age-old questions around motherhood, identity and freedom.
Similar to The Handmaid’s Tale, Red Clocks is a riveting exploration of the female experience. In the same vein as Atwood, author Leni Zumas deftly chronicles the life-changing experience of motherhood and powerfully confronts the patriarchal policing of women’s bodies.
When She Woke – Hillary Jordan
Hannah Payne’s life has been spent in devotion to church and family. But, after her arrest, she wakes up to a nightmare: lying on a table in a bare room, covered only by a paper gown, with cameras broadcasting her every move to millions back at home. In this new world, criminals are known as ‘Chromes’ and their skin has been genetically altered to reflect their crimes. With her red skin, Hannah is recognisable as a murderer. According to the State of Texas, her victim was her unborn child.
Hillary Jordan’s When She Woke is a timely story about a stigmatised woman struggling to navigate an America where the barriers between church and state have been eroded away. In attempting to find a route to safety in a hostile and alien world, Hannah soon finds herself on a path of self-discovery that leads to her questioning the values she was once certain were unshakeable to her.
Parable Of The Sower (Earthseed #1) – Octavia E. Butler
The year is 2024 and Lauren Olamina lives in one of the few remaining safe neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Los Angeles with her family. Behind the walls of her barricaded enclave, Lauren’s preacher father and a handful of other citizens attempt to keep alive the remnants of humanity whilst the world outside succumbs to drugs, disease, shortages and conflict. Lauren struggles with hyperempathy, a condition that makes her extraordinarily sensitive to the pain experienced by others.
When fire destroys their sanctuary and claims the lives of her family, Lauren and the survivors are forced out into a world that is rife with danger. Much like Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale, Lauren’s journey in search of safety will lead to her questioning the world around her, as well as a revolutionary concept that could mean salvation for all.
Check Out The Best Books Like Parable Of The Sower
The Farm – Joanne Ramos
Another one of the best books like The Handmaid’s Tale that pushes surrogacy to the extreme comes from Joanne Ramos in The Farm. Nestled in the Hudson Valley is a picturesque retreat boasting every amenity. From private fitness trainers, and daily massages to organic meals, individuals are paid big money to spend a few seasons living in luxury. The only catch? For nine months, every individual present at the retreat belongs to it. The Farm monitors their every move, they are unable to leave and they are expected to dedicate themselves fully to the task of producing the perfect baby for their wealthy clients.
Jane is a migrant from the Philippines and a struggling single mother. She is initially overjoyed to make it through the selection process and earn a spot at the Farm. However, now pregnant, fragile, vulnerable and keen to reconnect with her own daughter, Jane soon becomes desperate to be free of her oppressive surroundings. Heartbreaking, suspenseful and imaginable, The Farm tackles the ways in which we view motherhood, wealth and privilege in a manner any Margaret Atwood fan will enjoy.
Check Out Our The Handmaid’s Tale Review
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
