Margaret Atwood

"In "The Handmaid's Tale," Margaret Atwood conceives an oppressive near-future every bit as frightening as Orwell's "1984." An unflinching tale of gender politics, Atwood's first-person novel tells the story of Offred, a "handmaid" whose role is to reproduce in an effort to counter widespread sterility. "The Handmaid's Tale" is not so much a work of speculative feminism as a document of humanity at its sordid, desperate worst. Already a classic, Atwood's cautionary and deeply moving novel proceeds with a malignant believability."

- Mac Tonnies, mactonnies.com, Book Reviews

Big Think is currently featuring an in-depth interview with Margaret Atwood, a fascinating woman. This equally as fascinating interview can found here.

(The photograph above is of a scene from the English National Opera's production of "The Handmaid's Tale". Credit:Tristram Kenton)