‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Legend Undergoes Surgery

A Handmaid’s Tale legend just underwent major surgery.

Margaret Atwood shared on her Instagram that she had cataract surgery.

“It was a breeze at the Kensington Eye Clinic,” the Canadian author wrote earlier this week. “2 down, one to go. We must not neglect the prophetic 3^rd eye …. :)” Atwood did not go into detail about why she needed the cataract surgery but from the looks of the photo, which has her wearing an eye patch, she seems to be doing well, and one fan even wondered how her vision could “be any clearer than it already is??????”

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A post shared by Margaret Atwood (@therealmargaretatwood)

Atwood, 85, wrote the classic novel The Handmaid’s Tale, which was published in 1985. Set in a near-future New England and centering on women who are forcibly assigned to produce children for the “Commanders,” the book was adapted into a Hulu series, which became an instant hit after premiering in 2017. It stars an ensemble cast that includes Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Alexis Bledel, Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle, Max Minghella, and Bradley Whitford, among others. The Handmaid’s Tale came to an end last month after six seasons.

While the show concluded, the series will live on with an adaptation of Atwood’s The Testaments. The new series, which will see the continuation of the rebellion against the Gilead, is based on Atwood’s 2019 sequel novel of the same name. It was first announced in 2019 that Hulu was developing a Testaments series, with Deadline reporting in February that the show was nearing a greenlight. Bruce Miller created the new show and will serve as showrunner. He will also executive produce alongside Warren Littlefield.

Meanwhile, The Handmaid’s Tale is not all that Margaret Atwood is known for. The famed author is behind 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 nonfiction books, nine short fictions, and much, much more. Other titles include Surfacing, Cat’s Eye, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin, and Oryx and Crake.

Perhaps Atwood, having to recover from her cataract surgery will lead her to inspiration, and she’ll pump out some new ideas for a book, even if it is going to be hard to see as her eyes adjust. But either way, she seems to be doing well.