The Handmaids Tale is a dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, published in 1985. The story is set in a near-future New England in a patriarchal, white supremacist, totalitarian theonomic state known as the Republic of Gilead, which has overthrown the United States government. The novel explores themes of powerless women in a patriarchal society, loss of female agency and individuality, suppression of womens reproductive rights, and the dangers of religious fundamentalism. The central character and narrator is Offred, one of the "Handmaids", women who are forcibly assigned to produce children for the "Commanders", who are the ruling class in Gilead.

The novel offers a satirical view of various social, political, and religious trends of the United States in the 1980s. Atwoods motivation for writing the novel was her belief that in the 1980s, the religious right was discussing what they would do with/to women if they took power. The Handmaids Tale is a feminist dystopian novel, combining the characteristics of dystopian fiction with the feminist utopian ideal.

The novel has been adapted into various forms of media, including a 1990 film, an opera, a ballet, and a television series). The television series, created by Bruce Miller, premiered in 2017 and has been well-received). The story has also become a symbol of advocacy for victims of oppression and control, with women wearing the Handmaids uniform to protests around the world.