The Gist

The Handmaid’s Fail

Is The Handmaid’s Tale really the most fitting dystopian novel we could be reading right now? Guest host Alexandra Petri talks to Slate’s Mallory Ortberg.

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The Handmaid’s Tale, written by Margaret Atwood and published in 1985, has recently surged in popularity.

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If aliens came to Earth looking for a dystopian novel that reflected the current political reality, would you recommend that they read The Handmaid’s Tale? Guest host Alexandra Petri considers this quandary with Mallory Ortberg, Slate’s Dear Prudence advice columnist.

In the Spiel, it’s time to talk about United Airlines.

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