I was very impressed with Ms. Atwood's prescience from the early/mid 80's to predict (in a way) what has happened here in the US from (roughly) 9/11 forward - an attack by Muslim extremists (or at least blamed on, in the book) leading to an erosion of public freedom in the US, coupled with the rise of the Christian Right.

I was flabbergasted when I read the "backhistory" she finally let out in the middle of the book.