The Handmaid's Tale (mirror)

The Handmaid's Tale was a novel written by the Terran author Margaret Atwood in the 20th century.

The plot focused on a woman forced into sexual servitude in a dystopian, militaristic theocracy that sees fertile women as a valuable resource. These women are forced to wear large white bonnets and red dresses, a costume that often appears on the covers of the book. The women are forbidden to read, go outside on their own, or even to have their own names.

The novel was still available to read in the 22nd century under the Terran Empire. When attempting to educate a Vissian cogenitor in January 2153, Commander Tucker of ISS Enterprise (NX-01)) showed the cogenitor The Handmaid's Tale on a PADD as an example of Earth literature. It is not known why Tucker chose this novel, but Vissian society forbade cogenitors to read, go outside on their own, or have their own names. (Before In a Mirror, Darkly)