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An Adaptation of THE HANDMAID’S TALE You Didn’t Know You Needed

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Patricia Thang

Senior Contributor

Patricia Thang is an educator located in Los Angeles. Though a native Angeleno through and through, her heart also belongs to Tokyo, where much of her family is from. Besides books, she is an enthusiastic devourer of many things, including podcasts, television, and J-pop. She realizes there’s not enough time in the world to consume all of that content, but she’s trying anyway. Other endeavors to which she has dedicated herself include cuddling her dogs until they’re annoyed and taste-testing every vegan ice cream she can find. Twitter: @aintnopthang

So we all know about the highly anticipated Hulu series starring Elisabeth Moss coming in April, but did you know that there is another adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale that you can begin enjoying right now?

secrets-crimes-and-audiotape-podcastSecrets, Crimes & Audiotape is a podcast from the Wondery network that features serialized audio dramas spanning various genres and styles. They’ve kicked off 2017 with an adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale, with episodes of the six-part series being released weekly starting January 3. Much like the novel, the podcast jumps around in time, gradually revealing to the listener different parts of Offred’s story and the story of the rise of the Republic of Gilead. With a superb cast of voice actors, a compelling script, and a stunning score and sound design, this audio version of The Handmaid’s Tale is a must-listen.

With Inauguration Day just around the corner, revisiting The Handmaid’s Tale — whether it be through the original text or through an audio or video adaptation — is more important than ever. With multiple artists bringing Offred’s story back into the forefront, I hope it’s not too late to take the lessons of Gilead to heart.