The Handmaid's Tale is a bleak novel by Margaret Atwood, published in 1985. It is set in the Republic of Gilead, a oppressive society where women lost all their rights. In this society, women are split into castes based on their reproductive capabilities, with Handmaids bound to reproductive servitude. The novel centers on Offred, a Handmaid who serves under a Commander and his wife, Serena Joy, an activist-turned-architect of the regime. The Handmaid's Tale translated into a successful TV series in 2017, earning several awards, such as Emmys and Golden Globes.