I’ve Read What People Are Calling the Next ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ — But It’s Much Darker

In a world where women speak 13,000 to 16,000 words a day, it’s hard to imagine one where we’re silenced. It’s no wonder then that Vox by Christina Dalcher is presented as something perfect for The Handmaid’s Tale fans. After all, the cover is sure to make you think of that scene when Aunt Lydia pulls down the cover of the Handmaid’s mouth in the Capitol to realize that her mouth has been pinned shut.

Vox goes a slightly different route, bringing more of a sci-fi element to the story, but it’s one that stands out. It’s a world where women have been silenced, only allowed to speak 100 words per day, and when they speak more than that, they’re given electric shocks that get more painful the more they push their limit.

Despite being out since 2018, Vox is gaining a new audience. This is likely because it’s described as the next Handmaid’s Tale, but it is far darker when you look at all the details of the world.

A World Where Even Sign Language Is Banned

What about writing things down? Or maybe it’s possible to sign? Women can’t even do that. They try to do the simplest thing, such as blow a kiss, and yet, they’re punished for that. Young girls aren’t taught how to read or write fully, because what’s the point? They won’t need to work, so there’s no need to learn any of this.

Like in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, some people were able to escape. They saw what was coming, and they headed to Canada or Mexico, as America became the laughing stock of the world. However, our lead protagonist, Jean, couldn’t do that. Her young daughter didn’t have a passport, and when she went to apply for it, not only did it never come, but her own passport was confiscated.

Now, the families are prisoners in their own country, and young children are being raised with the new way of life. Jean tries hard not to hate her own sons and husband, but she can’t help it, especially as one son shows he’s more and more indoctrinated into the system.

It’s hard not to feel for Jean in this situation, and as a mother, it’s easy to feel her pain in thinking how much she hates one of her sons. This isn’t the man she would have raised, but she’s getting no choice in the system. All she sees is how her daughter is going to be raised without even knowing the life before, and there’s an element of helplessness in it.

At one point, her daughter, Sonia, complains about being taken out of school, sharing that she was going to win the contest at school that day. The contest? Speaking as few words as possible, and the day before, she had only spoken two during the school day, making it clear that she was fully into the idea of speaking less simply because she was so young.

A Book Designed to Make You Think

This is one of those novels that is designed to make you think about the current situation now and what could be. Of course, there are elements that simply aren’t possible in the world that we live in today, but it feels like it’s only because technology isn’t quite there that leads to the world of Vox not being created.

Is this a perfectly written novel? No, there are moments that the plot speeds by a little too quickly. There were times I had to go back, feeling like I’d missed something because of the speed. That doesn’t take away from the thought-provoking story we’re pulled into, although the ending could have done with just a little more work. Something was missing, as we just seemed to get there with an “ah ha” moment, which, for the world that was created, didn’t quite make sense.

I don’t want to get into too many details here because of spoilers. However, in this world, it turns out that Jean is one of two women who are needed to help further particular language science, which is somewhat ironic considering the men want to keep women silent. She initially doesn’t want to help, but as she’s given an opportunity she can’t pass up, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

Part of what makes this story a little darker than The Handmaid’s Tale is the way that it explains how the regime formed. We get to hear of the protests that came before, and how certain people rose to power and gradually took over in a larger way. It’s something that The Handmaid’s Tale TV series eventually gets into, but the book doesn’t, and that’s simply due to the form of storytelling.

So, if you are looking for another book like The Handmaid’s Tale with a darker twist, Vox should be on your TBR pile.

This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the Books section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.