As a CIDL patron, you have free access to the database NoveLIst, from home. (Access
from the CIDL library homepage under Online Resources, then select Research Databases).
IF you do not have a CIDL card, come into the library and enjoy the free access here on site.
What is NoveList? It was created by Librarians, the database is available to libraries around the
world; the goal is to match readers to the right books. It's my favorite library database, next to Hoopla.
If you liked The Handmaid's Tale and would like to read further books on the same theme,
NoveList recommends the following:
- 1984 by George Orwell. Reason: "Both of these character centered dystopian novels portray grim views of totalitarian future societies that force indiviualists to conform. 1984 details a generally oppressive government, while the The Handmaid's Tale focuses particularly on the subjugation of women." -- Librarian Krista Biggs
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Reason: "Set in a future where print and reading are ruthlessly suppressed, Fahrenheit 451 likewise raises questions about the extent to which humans can be forced to change, the potential of the human spirit to evade oppression, and the power of words to transcend human boundaries." --Librarian Shauna Griffin
- Archetype by M.D. Waters. Reason: "In these compelling, suspenseful science fiction novels, women's fertility and reproduction are aggressively monitored and regulated by the authoritarian government of a near-future dystopian society -- a situation that prompts the heroines to resist indoctrination and rebel against the establishment." --Librarian Gillian Speace
- Lighthouse Island by Paulette Jiles. Reason: "Lyrical and bleak, these dystopian novels feature women fighting for the right to live and love as they choose. Handmaid's Tale is centered around reproductive issues and Lighthouse Island around personal freedom, but both discuss the importance of freedom to happiness." -- Librarian Melissa Gray
- When She Woke by Hillary Jordan. Reason: "Desperate to escape oppressive theocratic regimes that strip women of all civil rights, the protagonists of these suspenseful dystopian novels --set in a near-future North America plagued by natural disasters, terrorism, and declining fertility -- join underground resistance movements." --Librarian Gillian Speace
- The Summer Before the Dark by Doris May Lessing. Reason: "A bleak dystopia is illustrated from a women's viewpoint in each of these menacing, descriptive, and issue-oriented novels. Both authors create disturbing, realistic futures to explore societal roles and morals. These thought-provoking warnings for ethically challenged and materialist cultures." --Librarian Matthew Ransom
- Agenda 21 by Glenn Beck. Reason: "These two dystopian novels envision futures where the population is completely controlled, forced to either produce energy or to selectively produce children. For the protagonist, though, fleeing this sort of life is the only option." -Librarian Mike Nilsson
- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Reason: "Reflective individuals subjugated by totalitarian societies are the shared themes of these futuristic, issue-oriented novels. Both delve into ethics, morality, and social roles: Atwood's from an oppressed young woman's perspective, Burgess's from that of a violently rebellious young man." --Librarian Matthew Ransom
- The Power by Naomi Alderman. Reason: "While these feminist dystopian science fiction novels feature women in opposing power positions (holding power in The Power; oppressed in The Handmaid's Tale), both books thoughtfully consider how an upset to the delicate balance of power could impact gender politics." --Librarian Catherine Coles