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