Dystopian Novels See Boost in Sales After Election, From ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ to ‘1984’

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Millions of Americans who were hoping for a different result from the presidential election have coped with the news in different ways. While some had their eyes glued to MSNBC and CNN as results began rolling in on Tuesday night, others “Do Not Disturb”-ed themselves through the race, heading to their closest AMC to watch a movie as a form of escapism. Once the results officially became clear late Tuesday night, there were a lot of tears and yelling and doomscrolling and wine — at least according to my TikTok FYP.

According to Amazon’s book charts, there were also a significant amount of people filling up their carts with books to help them make sense of what’s expected to be a turbulent next four years, and beyond. Since Tuesday night, dystopian novels such as Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” to George Orwell’s seminal “1984” have returned to the charts since Tuesday night.

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Other returning bestsellers include “The Body Keeps the Score,” an oft-cited book cited on election night as liberal voters felt the anxiety they felt in 2016 rush back into their bones, and Timothy Snyder’s “On Tyranny,” a guide for surviving and resisting America’s turn towards authoritarianism published in 2017 during Trump’s first term in office.

Of course, conservatives read too. Melania’s eponymous memoir and JD Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy” have also seen in a boost in sales since Tuesday night, according to Amazon charts.

Below are some of the books that have returned the charts this week, and other titles worth reading as we prepare for a second Trump term:

NO. 1 BESTSELLER

The Handmaid’s Tale

$8.38 $17.00 51% off
Buy Now On Amazon

NO. 1 BESTSELLER

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

$7.31 $12.00 39% off
Buy Now On Amazon

NO. 1 BESTSELLER

Fahrenheit 451

$9.05 $17.00 47% off
Buy Now On Amazon

NO 1 BESTSELLER

1984

$5.71 $9.99 43% off
Buy Now On Amazon

AMAZON CHARTS

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

$10.86 $19.00 43% off
Buy Now On Amazon