The Handmaid's Tale/YMMV

""But WHOSE fault was it?"
 * Anvilicious
 * Some Anvils Need to Be Dropped
 * Fridge Brilliance:
 * Harsher in Hindsight: The destruction of the government is blamed on Muslim terrorists initially, giving far-right forces an excuse to declare martial law, suspend the Constitution, and institute their own perverse version of Christianity.
 * Nightmare Fuel: A surprising amount.
 * A snippet from the book.

"Her fault. Her fault. Her fault."

"WHO led them on?"

"She did. She did. She did."

"And why would God allow such a terrible thing to happen?"

"Teach her a lesson. Teach her a lesson. Teach her a lesson.""


 * Now factor this in: they were talking about a 14-year old girl being gang-raped.
 * The Colonies. You really don't want to be sent there.
 * Sci Fi Ghetto: Margaret Atwood insists the book is Speculative Fiction, but not Science Fiction. "Science fiction has monsters and spaceships; speculative fiction could really happen."
 * Nevertheless, the book won the first Arthur C. Clarke award in 1987.
 * There are signs that Atwood's mellowed since then.