Hello, friends!
I’ve been told by several people that I should read The Handmaid’s Tale. I love science fiction. The Handmaid’s Tale is science fiction, and it’s really good science fiction—the kind of science fiction that may pretend to be about the future, but it’s really talking about the world we live in today. All of that, I’m sure, is true, but I’m not going to read The Handmaid’s Tale. Not any time soon, at least. Based on everything I’ve read and heard about it, it sounds to me like that book is just too real right now.
“Escapism” is a dirty word, at least to some people. And I have to admit: if you dive too deep down that rabbit hole, if you spend too much time hiding within a fictional world, if you avoid dealing with the realities of life for too long… yeah, that’s not healthy. But dealing with reality can be a lot. It’s okay to take breaks. It’s okay to escape into a fantasy world for a little while. Sometimes, that’s what people need.
For those of you who don’t know this about me, I cannot avoid watching the news. I work in the news business. That’s my day job. And I am proud of the work I do. There are things the public needs to know, that the public deserves to know, and I help make sure the public has access to that information. But as you might imagine, working in news can be depressing (especially these last few years). So when I have time to read or time to write, I really just need a break from reality. Not a reminder. A break.
None of this is to say that The Handmaid’s Tale is a bad book. I mean, even if it is a bad book, how would I know? I’ve never read it! My point is that all books have their value—the serious books and the unserious books alike. There ought to be no shame in reading (or writing) what some might label as “escapist fiction.”
A sappy, trashy romance? A convoluted who-done-it murder mystery? A pew-pew laser gun Sci-Fi adventure (with dinosaurs)? Somebody out there really needs a book like that right now. So if you’re inclined to write anything along those lines, go write it. You’ll be making life a little bit better for someone.
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is a blog hop created by Alex J. Cavanaugh and co-hosted this month by Kristina Kelly, Miffie Seideman, Jean Davis, and Liza @ Middle Passages. If you’re a writer and if you feel in any way insecure about your writing life, click here to learn more about this awesomely supportive group and to see a list of participating blogs!
Planet Pailly 
Half the news is depressing and the other half not true.
Funny thing about reading science fiction and fantasy – it’s actually a good way to deal with crappy stuff in life in a safe environment.
I’ve seen the Handmaid’s Tale movie and that was depressing enough.
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There’s a place for depressing stories, too. I’m sure The Handmaiden’s Tale has an important point to make, and it must make it well. Otherwise it wouldn’t be so highly acclaimed. But it’s not the kind of thing I need in my life right now.
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I read Handmaids Tale long ago (It was published in 1986.) Good book, but I don’t plan to re-read it or watch the movie. I write stories that are fun – at least, I had fun writing them. Fiction is where I go for fun, and I’m keeping it that way. With dinosaurs!
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1986? I didn’t realize. Based on what people told me, I thought it was much more recent than that.
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I read it and yes it really hit close to home with how close the world is to becoming what was portrayed. It certainly isn’t the book to read when you want to laugh. I think all books have a place. And Alex brought up a great point – escapism like scifi and fantasy is good way to deal with crappy stuff in life in a safe environment. It’s a way to see other’s struggles that you might not go through, and see those characters deal with it (address it or not) all from the comfy couch.
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Getting that new perspective is good. I do appreciate that about Sci-Fi and fantasy. And many of my favorite Sci-Fi stories have something to say about real life issues. They’re just not quite so overt about it, if that makes sense.
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That’s exactly my attitude toward The Handmaid’s Tale and similar types of fiction. Nothing against it. And I don’t mind cautionary messages included in an otherwise entertaining story, but when the whole story is the message, it’s not my cup of tea.
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I appreciate the value of those sorts of stories. I did read 1984 and Fahrenheit 451. I thoroughly enjoyed those books at the time, but I’m not sure if I could deal with them right now. I think they’d feel too real.
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I haven’t plucked up the courage to read The Handmaid’s Tale yet. When I read a depressing book, I get depressed… and I’m finding things tough at the moment.
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So am I. It’s just too much right now. I don’t need a reminder. I need a brief escape.
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I took up escaping from life as a teenager. My peers did drugs and booze. I’d hunker down and visit the shire, or Transilvania. hehehe
Anna from elements of emaginette
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Ha! Yeah, there are far worse forms of “escapism” than reading.
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I’m a news junkie too, JS. I’m sure I’d be less stressed about world affairs if I didn’t pay attention, but there is so much of consequence occurring that I might be more stressed by not listening. I read “The Handmaid’s Tale” when it first came out. It chilled me to the core. Now I see what is happening to women’s rights, and I’m really chilled. I never believed that women’s rights would be under assault the way they are right now. I can use some escapism stories right now. I’ve been reading too many heavy books recently. I’m reading Jo Nesbo’s “The Bat,” a book for exchange I found in the laundry room in the condo tower we’re staying in. I definitely think it’s escapist. Enjoy IWSG Day!
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I can’t believe it, either. And I’m not for ignoring the issues of the day. People need to be informed, and people need to take action in whatever ways they can. But we also need to take a break from reality, from time to time. Otherwise, we’ll just feel totally overwhelmed. That’s one of the gifts fiction can give us: a brief break from reality.
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Heck yeah. This is 100% how I feel too.
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Woo hoo!!!
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I read”The Handmaid’s Tale” once and thought it was brilliantly written and, although it wasn’t my favourite, I did like it. It does reflect our current reality somewhat directly yet has a tinge of the surreal in the ways of that future setting’s social structure.
However, I myself am more of an escapist science fiction reader and writer in story and setting while yet trying to allow my own stories to comment on our own current society but not to the degree where the realism eclipses the romanticism. I also have always believed we need that break from every day reality and that if it wasn’t for escapist fiction in whatever media (film, TV, literature) I would not be the fiction writer I am today.
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That’s basically my feeling, too. Many of my favorite Sci-Fi stories do comment on real life issues, but it’s subtle. Well, maybe subtle isn’t the right word, but the commentary is not so overt that you lose the escapism.
Everything I’ve heard about The Handmaid’s Tale makes it sound like it’s excellent. Maybe someday I’ll read it. But it’s not the kind of thing I need in my life right now.
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The idea that we need to “stay informed” has become so ingrained in our society, but is it something we actually need to do?
Politics in the US has become so divided that I’d wager that a substantial amount of people decided 4, 8, 12, maybe even 16 years ago or more the party that they are going to vote for in this election. If you can count yourself among those people, what does listening to the noise (from either side of the aisle) really accomplish?
The turmoil in the Middle East has been on-going for decades. There may be substantial spikes in violence and in worldwide sympathy, but there are also declines as well. It’s not a situation that has any resolution in sight. I would even go as far as to say “knowing about it” does more harm than good. Let’s say that even in the most idealistic scenario where the news is reported without bias, individuals are still quick to make their own assessment on the situation given their own personal biases.
For some people, the news may have a real impact on the course of their lives. Maybe in the form of activism or financially through charitable donations. For those of us who are just going to go about our day-to-day business regardless of what is happening in the world, what benefit does “staying informed” really provide?
I abandoned social media over a decade ago and have cut out all news media for a few years now, and it’s been such a huge relief! At first I tried to only read the news from reputable sources, but at the end of the day it’s really just the same noise packaged in slightly nicer wrapping paper.
If something important that requires my attention is happening in my local community, I’ll get notified about it through the mail. If it’s a big enough story, maybe I’ll hear about it through word-of-mouth. If it’s something truly catastrophic and apocalyptic I imagine that it would pierce through all forms of media, even ones that don’t typically cover world events. Also, my phone would blare with a loud piercing beep the same way it does when there is an Amber alert.
Most news today is noise, and even honest investigative reporting is often just highlighting how horrible a specific situation is and all of the reasons why it’s unlikely to change or improve.
It’s not even a binary of “staying informed” or “being ignorant”. The information that is relevant to me will find its way to me if it is truly important. Tuning in to the never ending news cycle or absentmindedly doomscrolling isn’t staying informed. It’s never getting off the amusement park ride, like the Scrambler or the Gravitron, and becoming so numb to it that you forget what it’s like to stand on solid ground without everything constantly spinning.
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For the most part, I think you and I are in agreement. Staying informed is important. Keeping an open mind is also important. But so is protecting your own mental health, and having the news in your face every waking moment of the day is not good for your mental health. We need breaks. We need to escape, at least for a little while.
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Thanks for stopping by my blog. I’m down with escapism from time to time. I don’t think there is any shame in reading. Just because everyone doesn’t share all the same interests doesn’t mean one thing has more value than another. As far as I can tell, The Handmaid’s Tale isn’t going anywhere. Take your time getting to it.
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At some point in the future, I very well might read it. As I was saying to another commenter, I did read 1984. At the time, I appreciated that book for what it was, and I enjoyed it (to the extent that you can call a book like that enjoyable). But I wouldn’t want to read that right now, either. Hits too close to home.
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