One of the original "dystopian" novels, The Handmaid's Tale is a nightmarish glimpse into an America that rapidly changed from the democratic society we know today to a scary patriarchy where women are only valued for their ability to bear children.
While I wished to know more about how and why society was able to so rapidly desintegrate, I did find Atwood's charachers, especially Offred (of Fred, her 'owner'), haunting.