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Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 06:30 pm

Posted by Jeff Somers

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Hulu’s adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale hit our screens at precisely the right moment—a time when many had Americans begun to wonder if our democracy was as robust as we’d always assumed. It brought Margaret Atwood’s grim vision of a totalitarian, patriarchal, and fanatical future America (now known as The Republic of Gilead) to life with sharp writing, electric performances, a striking visual style, and instantly iconic costume designs.

Now that the series has ended, you might be wondering how you’ll get your fix of feel-bad dystopian futures. Thanks in part to its success, there are a lot of other TV series you can stream that offer similarly provocative visions of our Worst Possible Future (including the spinoff series The Testaments)—but you can also plunge deeper into books, movies, games, and podcasts that deliver similar visions of where we may be headed.

The best books like The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid’s Tale is a literary adaptation, after all, and the series maintained that novelistic feel. If you’re a reader, here are more books that explore similar themes.

The Testaments, by Margaret Atwood

Future Home of the Living God, by Louise Erdrich

Women Talking, by Miriam Toews

The Children of Men, by P.D. James

The Gate to Women's Country, by Sheri S. Tepper

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<p class="syndicationauthor">Posted by Jeff Somers</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/handmaids-tale-streamalikes-books-movies-video-games-and-podcasts?utm_medium=RSS">https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/handmaids-tale-streamalikes-books-movies-video-games-and-podcasts?utm_medium=RSS</a></p><p>We may earn a commission from links on this page.</p><p>Hulu’s adaptation of <em>The Handmaid’s Tale</em> hit our screens at precisely the right moment—a time when many had Americans begun to wonder if our democracy was as robust as we’d always assumed. It brought Margaret Atwood’s grim vision of a totalitarian, patriarchal, and fanatical future America (now known as The Republic of Gilead) to life with sharp writing, electric performances, a striking visual style, and instantly iconic costume designs.</p><p>Now that the series has ended, you might be wondering how you’ll get your fix of feel-bad dystopian futures. Thanks in part to its success, there are a <a href="https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/shows-like-handmaids-tale-testaments" target="_blank">lot of other TV series</a> you can stream that offer similarly provocative visions of our Worst Possible Future (including the spinoff series <em>The Testaments</em>)—but you can also plunge deeper into books, movies, games, and podcasts that deliver similar visions of where we may be headed.</p><h2 id="the-best-books-like-the-handmaids-tale">The best books like <em>The Handmaid's Tale</em></h2><p><em>The Handmaid’s Tale</em> is a literary adaptation, after all, and the series maintained that novelistic feel. If you’re a reader, here are more books that explore similar themes.</p><div class="shadow-b-2 mb-12 mt-10 rounded-md border-2 border-[#F0F0F0] px-6 py-2 shadow-lg md:px-12" role="region" aria-label="Products List" x-data="{ showMore: false }"> <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FTestaments-Margaret-Atwood%2Fdp%2F0525562621%2F&template=Opinions&module=product-list&element=offer&item=offer-btn&position=1&element_label=The+Testaments%2C+by+Margaret+Atwood&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&product_uuid=07L5DpHuToUCRljnTPBJ0To&offer_uuid=02MWRfGFA0h2CwT6hqAzBG1&pageview_type=RSS&object_type=02MWRfGFA0h2CwT6hqAzBG1&object_uuid=07L5DpHuToUCRljnTPBJ0To&data-aps-asin=0525562621&data-aps-asc-tag=lifehack088-20&data-aps-asc-subtag=02MWRfGFA0h2CwT6hqAzBG1" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" 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Tepper </div> </div> <div class="hidden md:flex md:justify-between md:gap-x-4"> <div class="w-full mb-0 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $7.45 <span class="font-medium">at Amazon</span> </span> </div> <div class="flex items-center justify-center gap-x-1 font-bold md:justify-start"> <span class="text-sm line-through">$7.99</span> <span class="text-sm text-brand-green">Save $0.54</span> </div> </div> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm hidden self-end h-12 max-w-[10rem] duration-200 ease-in-out hover:bg-brand-green-700 md:flex md:h-10"> Shop Now </button> </div> </div> <div class="flex aspect-video h-[90px] shrink-0 items-center justify-center self-center md:order-1"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/00oKE7Tv9xZCMEVQe0hYvuu/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777297421.jpg" alt="The Gate to Women's Country: A Novel" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm w-full h-12 duration-200 ease-in-out hover:bg-brand-green-700 md:hidden md:h-10"> Shop Now </button> <div class="flex flex-col items-center w-full md:hidden font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $7.45 <span class="font-medium">at Amazon</span> </span> </div> <div class="flex items-center justify-center gap-x-1 font-bold md:justify-start"> <span class="text-sm line-through">$7.99</span> <span class="text-sm text-brand-green">Save $0.54</span> </div> </div> </a> <button class="mb-4 mt-6 pr-4 font-akshar text-sm font-medium text-gray-900 hover:cursor-pointer hover:text-brand-green md:pr-8" x-cloak="x-cloak" x-show="!showMore && 5 > 3" x-on:click="showMore = !showMore" x-on:keydown.enter.prevent.stop="showMore = !showMore"> SEE 2 MORE <svg class="-mt-[2px] inline-block size-3 fill-current text-brand-green"> <use href="https://lifehacker.com/images/icons/spritemap.svg#sprite-chevron-down"></use> </svg> </button> </div> <h3><em>The Testaments,</em> by Margaret Atwood</h3><p>The adaptation of Atwood’s novel went far beyond her original vision out of necessity: You don’t get six seasons of June fighting the patriarchy without inventing a lot of new material. In 2019, Atwood delivered the <a href="https://zdcs.link/QV5dpd?pageview_type=RSS&template=content&module=content_body&element=offer&item=text-link&element_label=long-awaited%20sequel%20to%20her%20novel&short_url=QV5dpd&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="sponsored" target="_blank" title="open in a new window">long-awaited sequel to her novel</a>, offering <em>her</em> thoughts on what the larger picture of Gilead would look like. Three women smuggle their experiences out of the Republic—a young woman who rejects her arranged marriage despite her strong faith, a teen girl who finds herself questioning the bedrock of her existence, and, most intriguingly, Lydia, the stern, conflicted Aunt responsible for training (and punishing) the Handmaids. </p><h3><em>Future Home of the Living God</em>, by Louise Erdrich</h3><p>If you’re intrigued by ideas around reproductive freedom, bodily agency, and how quickly society could revert to a more primitive state, <a href="https://zdcs.link/9l8EKN?pageview_type=RSS&template=content&module=content_body&element=offer&item=text-link&element_label=Future%20Home%20of%20the%20Living%20God&short_url=9l8EKN&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="sponsored" target="_blank" title="open in a new window"><em>Future Home of the Living God</em></a> is the perfect choice. In a grim future, evolution has gone haywire—plants and animals appear to be evolving backwards, and a range of threats challenge humanity’s survival. When the government begins rounding up pregnant women, Cedar Hawk Songmaker flees, embarking on a violent journey as she fights for herself and the autonomy of women everywhere.</p><h3><em>Women Talking,</em> by Miriam Toews</h3><p>If you loved how <em>The Handmaid’s Tale</em> explores the ways the women of Gilead sustain and defend themselves without ever holding real power, <a href="https://zdcs.link/aD87wo?pageview_type=RSS&template=content&module=content_body&element=offer&item=text-link&element_label=Women%20Talking&short_url=aD87wo&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="sponsored" target="_blank" title="open in a new window"><em>Women Talking</em></a><em> </em>will be fascinating. The women of the Mennonite colony of Molotschna have long believed demons attack them at night. When a man is caught assaulting one of them, however, they realize they have been lied to and gaslit by the patriarchal leaders of the colony—in reality, those men have been drugging and abusing them. Unable to read and ignorant of the outside world, the women gather to discuss what’s to be done, with the help of the one man in the community they trust.</p><h3><em>The Children of Men</em>, by P.D. James</h3><p>It’s sometimes forgotten that the precipitating event leading to the Republic of Gilead in <em>The Handmaid’s Tale</em> is a fertility crisis. James’ <a href="https://zdcs.link/9yPEgJ?pageview_type=RSS&template=content&module=content_body&element=offer&item=text-link&element_label=dystopian%20novel&short_url=9yPEgJ&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="sponsored" target="_blank" title="open in a new window">dystopian novel</a> goes one step further—by the year 2021, no children have been born for more than 25 years. The novel explores the slow dissolution of civilization in the face of humanity’s inevitable extinction, with each grim development more horrifyingly plausible than the last. If it’s the dystopia of it all that you love, this novel is the ideal choice.</p><h3><em>The Gate to Women's Country,</em> by Sheri S. Tepper</h3><p>If you’re looking for a similar vibe to <em>The Handmaid’s Tale, </em>but from a different perspective, Tepper’s <a href="https://zdcs.link/QpBdww?pageview_type=RSS&template=content&module=content_body&element=offer&item=text-link&element_label=1988%20novel&short_url=QpBdww&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="sponsored" target="_blank" title="open in a new window">1988 novel</a> will deliver. In a post-apocalyptic Pacific Northwest, a matriarchy has emerged. Women and children live peacefully within the walls of small cities, while men live in more primitive conditions outside, as warriors. But keeping those two groups apart forever isn’t possible, and when a young woman in Marthatown begins a friendship with a warrior named Chernon, change—violent and otherwise—is inevitable.</p><h2 id="the-best-movies-like-the-handmaids-tale">The best movies like <em>The Handmaid's Tale</em></h2><p>Hollywood loves a good dystopian epic, so there is no shortage of grim films offering possible futures no one wants. If you’re looking to stay in this lane, here are some terrific films to queue up.</p><h3><em>The Handmaid's Tale</em> (1990)</h3><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl aspect-video"> <div id="video-container-01KQANZM4540C1DTSVPT2T3A3T"></div> </div> <p>The most direct way to stay in the universe of<em> The Handmaid’s Tale</em> is to watch the first adaptation, from 1990. Starring Robert Duvall, Natasha Richardson, and Faye Dunaway, the film was scripted by Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter and offers a more compressed and melodramatic—but no less horrifying—version of the story. It’s<em> very</em> 1990, but it offers an intriguingly different perspective on the material.<em> </em><strong>Stream <em>The Handmaid’s Tale</em> on <a href="https://zdcs.link/z64keY?pageview_type=RSS&template=content&module=content_body&element=offer&item=text-link&element_label=Apple%20TV&short_url=z64keY&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="sponsored" target="_blank" title="open in a new window">Apple TV</a></strong><strong>.</strong></p><div class="pogoClear mb-12 mt-10 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-7 shadow-xl md:py-6"> <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2Fz64keY&template=Opinions&module=shop-card&element=offer&item=offer-btn&position=1&element_label=The+Handmaid%27s+Tale+%281990%29&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2Fz64keY&pageview_type=RSS" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-module="shop-card" data-ga-element="offer" data-ga-item="offer-btn" data-ga-label="The Handmaid's Tale (1990)"> <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-7 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-8"> <div class="order-1 mx-auto flex flex-col justify-center md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:w-full md:grow"> <div class="block cursor-pointer text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green duration-200 ease-in-out hover:text-brand-green-700 md:text-left md:text-xl md:leading-6">The Handmaid's Tale (1990) </div> <div class="mt-4 hidden md:flex md:justify-between"> <div class="self-end"> <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> <span class="font-medium">at Apple TV+</span> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="w-44 self-end"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Learn More </button> </div> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 mt-5 h-auto w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-1.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777397681.jpg" alt="The Handmaid's Tale (1990)" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 ml-2 hidden w-32 shrink-0 items-center md:order-1 md:ml-0 md:flex"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-1.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777397681.jpg" alt="The Handmaid's Tale (1990)" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0"> <div class="mt-4 w-full"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Learn More </button> </div> <div class="mx-2 mt-4 w-full"> <div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> <span class="font-medium">at Apple TV+</span> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </a></div> <h3><em>The Assessment</em> (2024)</h3><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl aspect-video"> <div id="video-container-01KQANZM47NRW3ZSZJ39V1T58X"></div> </div> <p>If you want to keep exploring the themes and big questions the show tackles,<em> The Assessment</em> is your jam. Set in a future where increased lifespans and resource scarcity have led made reproduction a highly-regulated act requiring advanced technology, the film focuses on a couple, Mia and Aaryan (Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel), applying to have a child. The government assessor, Virginia (Alicia Vikander), arrives to live with them for seven days to evaluate their application. The testing quickly takes a dark turn, and the film explores the power dynamic and raw emotions linking all three of these fascinating individuals.<em> </em><strong>Stream <em>The Assessment</em> on <a href="https://www.hulu.com/movie/the-assessment-b46dd6dc-a59e-4373-bbb4-b2ff21cee695" target="_blank" title="open in a new window" rel="noopener">Hulu</a></strong><strong> or rent it on <a href="https://zdcs.link/QrJMZ5?pageview_type=RSS&template=content&module=content_body&element=offer&item=text-link&element_label=Prime%20Video&short_url=QrJMZ5&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="sponsored" target="_blank" title="open in a new window">Prime Video</a></strong><strong>.</strong></p><div class="pogoClear mb-12 mt-10 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-7 shadow-xl md:py-6"> <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FQrJMZ5&template=Opinions&module=shop-card&element=offer&item=offer-btn&position=1&element_label=The+Assessment+%282024%29&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FQrJMZ5&pageview_type=RSS" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-module="shop-card" data-ga-element="offer" data-ga-item="offer-btn" data-ga-label="The Assessment (2024)"> <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-7 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-8"> <div class="order-1 mx-auto flex flex-col justify-center md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:w-full md:grow"> <div class="block cursor-pointer text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green duration-200 ease-in-out hover:text-brand-green-700 md:text-left md:text-xl md:leading-6">The Assessment (2024) </div> <div class="mt-4 hidden md:flex md:justify-between"> <div class="self-end"> <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $4.99 <span class="font-medium">at Prime Video</span> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="w-44 self-end"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Learn More </button> </div> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 mt-5 h-auto w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-2.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777397758.jpg" alt="The Assessment (2024)" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 ml-2 hidden w-32 shrink-0 items-center md:order-1 md:ml-0 md:flex"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-2.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777397758.jpg" alt="The Assessment (2024)" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0"> <div class="mt-4 w-full"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Learn More </button> </div> <div class="mx-2 mt-4 w-full"> <div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $4.99 <span class="font-medium">at Prime Video</span> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </a></div> <h3><em>Anniversary</em> (2025)</h3><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl aspect-video"> <div id="video-container-01KQANZM49RJ77133GDHG7QK68"></div> </div> <p>If you want to explore the details of how a society can slide into madness,<em> Anniversary</em> is a great choice. At a party celebrating her 25<sup>th</sup> anniversary with her husband, liberal professor Ellen (Diane Lane) meets her son’s new fiancée, Liz (Phoebe Dynevor), a former student. Liz has developed a movement called Change that promotes totalitarian governance, and over the next five years, her ideas gradually become violently mainstream, destroying Ellen and her family along the way.<em> </em><strong>Stream <em>Anniversary</em> on <a href="https://www.hulu.com/movie/anniversary-18b34d41-c241-40e3-8d2a-626a8b9c7188" target="_blank" title="open in a new window" rel="noopener">Hulu</a></strong><strong> or rent it on <a href="https://zdcs.link/z3OBJP?pageview_type=RSS&template=content&module=content_body&element=offer&item=text-link&element_label=Prime%20Video&short_url=z3OBJP&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="sponsored" target="_blank" title="open in a new window">Prime Video</a></strong><strong>.</strong></p><div class="pogoClear mb-12 mt-10 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-7 shadow-xl md:py-6"> <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2Fz3OBJP&template=Opinions&module=shop-card&element=offer&item=offer-btn&position=1&element_label=Anniversary+%282025%29&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2Fz3OBJP&pageview_type=RSS" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-module="shop-card" data-ga-element="offer" data-ga-item="offer-btn" data-ga-label="Anniversary (2025)"> <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-7 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-8"> <div class="order-1 mx-auto flex flex-col justify-center md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:w-full md:grow"> <div class="block cursor-pointer text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green duration-200 ease-in-out hover:text-brand-green-700 md:text-left md:text-xl md:leading-6">Anniversary (2025) </div> <div class="mt-4 hidden md:flex md:justify-between"> <div class="self-end"> <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $5.99 <span class="font-medium">at Prime Video</span> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="w-44 self-end"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Learn More </button> </div> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 mt-5 h-auto w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-3.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777397919.jpg" alt="Anniversary (2025)" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 ml-2 hidden w-32 shrink-0 items-center md:order-1 md:ml-0 md:flex"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-3.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777397919.jpg" alt="Anniversary (2025)" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0"> <div class="mt-4 w-full"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Learn More </button> </div> <div class="mx-2 mt-4 w-full"> <div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $5.99 <span class="font-medium">at Prime Video</span> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </a></div> <h3><em>Dogville</em> (2003)</h3><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl aspect-video"> <div id="video-container-01KQANZM4C267SYBPS96NYEYXH"></div> </div> <p>Lars von Trier’s 2003 film adheres to his principles of Dogme 95—filmmaking that eschews technology and special effects in favor of storytelling fundamentals. The sets are minimal (buildings and rooms are often represented by lines on the floor), but the story is compelling. A woman named Grace (Nicole Kidman) flees gangsters and takes refuge in the town of Dogville. Although welcomed at first, as the townfolk realize the power they have over the desperate woman, her situation grows increasingly grim. It's a story that explores how eager seemingly everyday people are to wield power over one another. Stream <em>Dogville </em>on <a href="https://zdcs.link/QG8eqx?pageview_type=RSS&template=content&module=content_body&element=offer&item=text-link&element_label=Mubi&short_url=QG8eqx&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="sponsored" target="_blank" title="open in a new window">Mubi</a>.</p><div class="pogoClear mb-12 mt-10 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-7 shadow-xl md:py-6"> <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FQG8eqx&template=Opinions&module=shop-card&element=offer&item=offer-btn&position=1&element_label=Dogville+%282003%29&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FQG8eqx&pageview_type=RSS" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-module="shop-card" data-ga-element="offer" data-ga-item="offer-btn" data-ga-label="Dogville (2003)"> <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-7 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-8"> <div class="order-1 mx-auto flex flex-col justify-center md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:w-full md:grow"> <div class="block cursor-pointer text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green duration-200 ease-in-out hover:text-brand-green-700 md:text-left md:text-xl md:leading-6">Dogville (2003) </div> <div class="mt-4 hidden md:flex md:justify-between"> <div class="self-end"> <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> <span class="font-medium">at Mubi</span> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="w-44 self-end"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Learn More </button> </div> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 mt-5 h-auto w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-5.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777397919.jpg" alt="Dogville (2003)" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 ml-2 hidden w-32 shrink-0 items-center md:order-1 md:ml-0 md:flex"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-5.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777397919.jpg" alt="Dogville (2003)" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0"> <div class="mt-4 w-full"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Learn More </button> </div> <div class="mx-2 mt-4 w-full"> <div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> <span class="font-medium">at Mubi</span> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </a></div> <h3><em>Gattaca</em> (1997)</h3><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl aspect-video"> <div id="video-container-01KQANZM4EZRFX8DJCVRAND6KW"></div> </div> <p>The loss of physical autonomy, the impact of wealth and social status, and the might of government regulation of biology are major themes in<em> The Handmaid’s Tale</em>, making this 1997 sci-fi movie a good choice. In the future, genetic engineering allows the creation of “valids,” people with superior genetics. Children conceived naturally (who thus have a higher chance of mutation and subsequent health problems) are relegated to the lower tiers of society. The film explores the extremes people pursue to escape the limitations—both natural and imposed—of their physical bodies.<em> </em><strong>Rent <em>Gattaca</em> on <a href="https://zdcs.link/QpBdbg?pageview_type=RSS&template=content&module=content_body&element=offer&item=text-link&element_label=Prime%20Video&short_url=QpBdbg&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss" rel="sponsored" target="_blank" title="open in a new window">Prime Video</a></strong><strong>.</strong></p><div class="pogoClear mb-12 mt-10 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-7 shadow-xl md:py-6"> <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FQpBdbg&template=Opinions&module=shop-card&element=offer&item=offer-btn&position=1&element_label=Gattaca+%281997%29&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2FQpBdbg&pageview_type=RSS" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-module="shop-card" data-ga-element="offer" data-ga-item="offer-btn" data-ga-label="Gattaca (1997)"> <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-7 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-8"> <div class="order-1 mx-auto flex flex-col justify-center md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:w-full md:grow"> <div class="block cursor-pointer text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green duration-200 ease-in-out hover:text-brand-green-700 md:text-left md:text-xl md:leading-6">Gattaca (1997) </div> <div class="mt-4 hidden md:flex md:justify-between"> <div class="self-end"> <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $3.99 <span class="font-medium">at Prime Video</span> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="w-44 self-end"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Learn More </button> </div> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 mt-5 h-auto w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-4.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777397919.jpg" alt="Gattaca (1997)" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 ml-2 hidden w-32 shrink-0 items-center md:order-1 md:ml-0 md:flex"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-4.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777397919.jpg" alt="Gattaca (1997)" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0"> <div class="mt-4 w-full"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Learn More </button> </div> <div class="mx-2 mt-4 w-full"> <div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $3.99 <span class="font-medium">at Prime Video</span> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </a></div> <h2 id="the-best-video-games-like-the-handmaids-tale">The best video games like <em>The Handmaid's Tale</em></h2><p>If there’s one lesson to take away from <em>The Handmaid’s Tale</em>, it’s that compliance and going along to get along lead us to the abyss. If you want to take a more active role in your dystopian entertainment, check out these games.</p><h3><em>République</em></h3><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl aspect-video"> <div id="video-container-01KQANZM4GVVGDMQ49DGQZA4DG"></div> </div> <p>If you want take part in actively resisting a totalitarian state, but not in real life, play <em>République</em>. You assist a rebellious girl named Hope as she tries to escape a facility where the government conducts horrifying experiments on teenagers. You can use the surveillance cameras in the facility to track the movements of Hope and the guards trying to capture her, and hack into various systems, unlock doors, and cause distractions to help her win her freedom.</p><p><strong>Platforms:</strong> Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Platystation, Steam</p><div class="pogoClear mb-12 mt-10 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-7 shadow-xl md:py-6"> <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FRepublique-PlayStation-4%2Fdp%2FB0187UFI1U&template=Opinions&module=shop-card&element=offer&item=offer-btn&position=1&element_label=Republique+-+PlayStation+4&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&product_uuid=03GHn4B1bI8PGl2HLs8oZYD&offer_uuid=04q0VSrra8AYatFg0mYpElW&pageview_type=RSS&object_type=04q0VSrra8AYatFg0mYpElW&object_uuid=03GHn4B1bI8PGl2HLs8oZYD&data-aps-asin=B0187UFI1U&data-aps-asc-tag=lifehack088-20&data-aps-asc-subtag=04q0VSrra8AYatFg0mYpElW" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-module="shop-card" data-ga-element="offer" data-ga-item="offer-btn" data-ga-label="Republique - PlayStation 4"> <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-7 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-8"> <div class="order-1 mx-auto flex flex-col justify-center md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:w-full md:grow"> <div class="block cursor-pointer text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green duration-200 ease-in-out hover:text-brand-green-700 md:text-left md:text-xl md:leading-6">Republique - PlayStation 4 </div> <div class="mt-4 hidden md:flex md:justify-between"> <div class="self-end"> <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $43.10 <span class="font-medium">at Amazon</span> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="w-44 self-end"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Shop Now </button> </div> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 mt-5 h-auto w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/03GHn4B1bI8PGl2HLs8oZYD/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777301441.jpg" alt="Republique - PlayStation 4" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 ml-2 hidden w-32 shrink-0 items-center md:order-1 md:ml-0 md:flex"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/03GHn4B1bI8PGl2HLs8oZYD/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777301441.jpg" alt="Republique - PlayStation 4" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0"> <div class="mt-4 w-full"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Shop Now </button> </div> <div class="mx-2 mt-4 w-full"> <div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $43.10 <span class="font-medium">at Amazon</span> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </a></div> <h3><em>Detroit: Become Human</em></h3><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl aspect-video"> <div id="video-container-01KQANZM4JC78NSN1PFH31RTMB"></div> </div> <p><em>The Handmaid's Tale</em>'s themes of autonomy and personal freedom are echoed in this adventure game focused on three android characters. In a future world, androids can become “deviant” if they learn to bypass their programming and attain sentience. You can play as three distinct androids, each with their own backstory, agenda, and possible outcomes, as you deal with an robot uprising and choose whether or not to risk becoming deviant yourself. </p><p><strong>Platforms:</strong> PlayStation, Steam</p><div class="pogoClear mb-12 mt-10 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-7 shadow-xl md:py-6"> <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FDetroit-Become-Human-PlayStation-4%2Fdp%2FB01GW9H4K6&template=Opinions&module=shop-card&element=offer&item=offer-btn&position=1&element_label=Detroit%3A+Become+Human+-+PlayStation+4&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&product_uuid=02I99qdIlPB72WzFQUoKpcc&offer_uuid=00uuMdPYFdcwowjeexQmV89&pageview_type=RSS&object_type=00uuMdPYFdcwowjeexQmV89&object_uuid=02I99qdIlPB72WzFQUoKpcc&data-aps-asin=B01GW9H4K6&data-aps-asc-tag=lifehack088-20&data-aps-asc-subtag=00uuMdPYFdcwowjeexQmV89" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-module="shop-card" data-ga-element="offer" data-ga-item="offer-btn" data-ga-label="Detroit: Become Human - PlayStation 4"> <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-7 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-8"> <div class="order-1 mx-auto flex flex-col justify-center md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:w-full md:grow"> <div class="block cursor-pointer text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green duration-200 ease-in-out hover:text-brand-green-700 md:text-left md:text-xl md:leading-6">Detroit: Become Human - PlayStation 4 </div> <div class="mt-4 hidden md:flex md:justify-between"> <div class="self-end"> <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $29.90 <span class="font-medium">at Amazon</span> </span> </div> <div class="flex items-center justify-center gap-x-1 font-bold md:justify-start"> <span class="text-sm line-through">$33.15</span> <span class="text-sm text-brand-green">Save $3.25</span> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="w-44 self-end"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Shop Now </button> </div> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 mt-5 h-auto w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/02I99qdIlPB72WzFQUoKpcc/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777306121.jpg" alt="Detroit: Become Human - PlayStation 4" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 ml-2 hidden w-32 shrink-0 items-center md:order-1 md:ml-0 md:flex"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/02I99qdIlPB72WzFQUoKpcc/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777306121.jpg" alt="Detroit: Become Human - PlayStation 4" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0"> <div class="mt-4 w-full"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Shop Now </button> </div> <div class="mx-2 mt-4 w-full"> <div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $29.90 <span class="font-medium">at Amazon</span> </span> </div> <div class="flex items-center justify-center gap-x-1 font-bold md:justify-start"> <span class="text-sm line-through">$33.15</span> <span class="text-sm text-brand-green">Save $3.25</span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </a></div> <h3><em>Signalis</em></h3><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl aspect-video"> <div id="video-container-01KQANZM4M9ERVD8T1SX0CC45J"></div> </div> <p>With deliberately old-school graphics, <em>Signalis</em> lets you play as Elster, a biosynthetic clone known as a Replika. You awake from suspended animation in a wrecked ship near a mine where most of the population has been killed by a mysterious plague. As you play, you begin to reconstruct what’s really happened, and discover what Elster is really searching for. The mood and tone (and themes of female relationships) are a good match for the show, and the eerie gameplay is as unsettling as it is entertaining.</p><p><strong>Platforms:</strong> PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam</p><div class="pogoClear mb-12 mt-10 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-7 shadow-xl md:py-6"> <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FSignalis-PlayStation-4%2Fdp%2FB0BHM4D14J&template=Opinions&module=shop-card&element=offer&item=offer-btn&position=1&element_label=Signalis+-+PlayStation+4&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&product_uuid=058fXXS2ReeQgK1g2MmM0cS&offer_uuid=002DlGoWl6JAOTozXXeuQfR&pageview_type=RSS&object_type=002DlGoWl6JAOTozXXeuQfR&object_uuid=058fXXS2ReeQgK1g2MmM0cS&data-aps-asin=B0BHM4D14J&data-aps-asc-tag=lifehack088-20&data-aps-asc-subtag=002DlGoWl6JAOTozXXeuQfR" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-module="shop-card" data-ga-element="offer" data-ga-item="offer-btn" data-ga-label="Signalis - PlayStation 4"> <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-7 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-8"> <div class="order-1 mx-auto flex flex-col justify-center md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:w-full md:grow"> <div class="block cursor-pointer text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green duration-200 ease-in-out hover:text-brand-green-700 md:text-left md:text-xl md:leading-6">Signalis - PlayStation 4 </div> <div class="mt-4 hidden md:flex md:justify-between"> <div class="self-end"> <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $37.50 <span class="font-medium">at Amazon</span> </span> </div> <div class="flex items-center justify-center gap-x-1 font-bold md:justify-start"> <span class="text-sm line-through">$42.99</span> <span class="text-sm text-brand-green">Save $5.49</span> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="w-44 self-end"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Shop Now </button> </div> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 mt-5 h-auto w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/058fXXS2ReeQgK1g2MmM0cS/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777307082.jpg" alt="Signalis - PlayStation 4" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 ml-2 hidden w-32 shrink-0 items-center md:order-1 md:ml-0 md:flex"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/058fXXS2ReeQgK1g2MmM0cS/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777307082.jpg" alt="Signalis - PlayStation 4" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0"> <div class="mt-4 w-full"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Shop Now </button> </div> <div class="mx-2 mt-4 w-full"> <div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $37.50 <span class="font-medium">at Amazon</span> </span> </div> <div class="flex items-center justify-center gap-x-1 font-bold md:justify-start"> <span class="text-sm line-through">$42.99</span> <span class="text-sm text-brand-green">Save $5.49</span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </a></div> <h3><em>Papers, Please</em></h3><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl aspect-video"> <div id="video-container-01KQANZM4P8W7EDSC458JV2T3C"></div> </div> <p>If you’re left wondering how otherwise decent people can go along with an oppressively violent totalitarian state like Gilead, this low-fi game is a must. You play as a government official processing visa applications at the border between your dystopian country and its mortal enemy. You must follow an increasingly confusing set of guidelines about who to admit and who to reject, while also managing your personal budget (augmented by bribes, if you dare) and trying to retain a scrap of humanity. You can choose to assist a growing rebel faction, or simply try to do an increasingly impossible job. It’s a surprisingly intense gaming experience.</p><p><strong>Platforms:</strong> Android, iOS, Steam</p><div class="pogoClear mb-12 mt-10 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-7 shadow-xl md:py-6"> <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?url=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2F9wBpqb&template=Opinions&module=shop-card&element=offer&item=offer-btn&position=1&element_label=Papers%2C+Please&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&short_code=https%3A%2F%2Fzdcs.link%2F9wBpqb&pageview_type=RSS" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-module="shop-card" data-ga-element="offer" data-ga-item="offer-btn" data-ga-label="Papers, Please"> <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-7 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-8"> <div class="order-1 mx-auto flex flex-col justify-center md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:w-full md:grow"> <div class="block cursor-pointer text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green duration-200 ease-in-out hover:text-brand-green-700 md:text-left md:text-xl md:leading-6">Papers, Please </div> <div class="mt-4 hidden md:flex md:justify-between"> <div class="self-end"> <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $9.99 <span class="font-medium">at Steam</span> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="w-44 self-end"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Shop Now </button> </div> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 mt-5 h-auto w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-6.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777398049.jpg" alt="Papers, Please" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 ml-2 hidden w-32 shrink-0 items-center md:order-1 md:ml-0 md:flex"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-6.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777398049.jpg" alt="Papers, Please" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0"> <div class="mt-4 w-full"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Shop Now </button> </div> <div class="mx-2 mt-4 w-full"> <div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $9.99 <span class="font-medium">at Steam</span> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </a></div> <h3><em>Dustborn</em></h3><div class="mx-auto mt-8 w-full max-w-4xl aspect-video"> <div id="video-container-01KQANZM4R3E65ME8S92CXGBE9"></div> </div> <p>Do you wish <em>The Handmaid’s Tale</em> was just a little more speculative—and a little more <em>fun</em>? Then play <em>Dustborn</em>, set in an alternate timeline where America has devolved into a totalitarian state that oppresses “Anomals,” people who have developed the ability to use Protolanguage, giving them the power to change reality and control people using words. You play as Pax, an Anomal who undertakes a mission to steal data to help the resistance, assembling a crew of friends to help and traveling under cover as a folk band. The game can be a bit heavy-handed with its messaging, but it definitely has the same vibes as the show.</p><p><strong>Platforms:</strong> PlayStation, Xbox, Steam</p><div class="pogoClear mb-12 mt-10 rounded-md border-2 border-gray-100 py-7 shadow-xl md:py-6"> <a href="https://cc.lifehacker.com/v1/otc/06ZVRiLmglGs4QA6plTXzTC?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G1w80Qq&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FDustborn-Limited-Retail-PlayStation-5%2Fdp%2FB0CYRN225F&template=Opinions&module=shop-card&element=offer&item=offer-btn&position=1&element_label=Dustborn+Limited+Retail+Edition+-+PlayStation+5&u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss&product_uuid=02HeCb9UOpbx1nvmi2SzDzf&offer_uuid=07BgQ2FQvY6uESpmFSaAHiI&pageview_type=RSS&object_type=07BgQ2FQvY6uESpmFSaAHiI&object_uuid=02HeCb9UOpbx1nvmi2SzDzf&data-aps-asin=B0CYRN225F&data-aps-asc-tag=lifehack088-20&data-aps-asc-subtag=07BgQ2FQvY6uESpmFSaAHiI" data-commerce="1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored" data-parent-group="affiliate-link" title="(opens in a new window)" class="cursor-default no-underline" data-ga-click="data-ga-click" data-ga-module="shop-card" data-ga-element="offer" data-ga-item="offer-btn" data-ga-label="Dustborn Limited Retail Edition - PlayStation 5"> <div class="flex flex-wrap justify-between px-7 text-black no-underline md:flex-nowrap md:px-8"> <div class="order-1 mx-auto flex flex-col justify-center md:order-2 md:ml-4 md:w-full md:grow"> <div class="block cursor-pointer text-center font-akshar text-2xl font-medium leading-7 text-brand-green duration-200 ease-in-out hover:text-brand-green-700 md:text-left md:text-xl md:leading-6">Dustborn Limited Retail Edition - PlayStation 5 </div> <div class="mt-4 hidden md:flex md:justify-between"> <div class="self-end"> <div class="mb-0 h-11 md:flex md:flex-col md:justify-center"><div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $20.51 <span class="font-medium">at Amazon</span> </span> </div> <div class="flex items-center justify-center gap-x-1 font-bold md:justify-start"> <span class="text-sm line-through">$39.99</span> <span class="text-sm text-brand-green">Save $19.48</span> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="w-44 self-end"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Shop Now </button> </div> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 mt-5 h-auto w-full md:order-1 md:mt-0 md:hidden"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/02HeCb9UOpbx1nvmi2SzDzf/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777308401.jpg" alt="Dustborn Limited Retail Edition - PlayStation 5" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-2 ml-2 hidden w-32 shrink-0 items-center md:order-1 md:ml-0 md:flex"> <div class="flex aspect-video items-center justify-center"> <img class="m-0 max-h-full max-w-full rounded-md" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/02HeCb9UOpbx1nvmi2SzDzf/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1777308401.jpg" alt="Dustborn Limited Retail Edition - PlayStation 5" width="auto" height="auto" loading="lazy"> </div> </div> <div class="order-3 flex grow flex-wrap md:hidden md:grow-0"> <div class="mt-4 w-full"> <button class="flex justify-center items-center w-full bg-brand-green text-white text-base font-sans font-medium rounded-md hover:bg-brand-green-700 hover:cursor-pointer md:text-sm h-11"> Shop Now </button> </div> <div class="mx-2 mt-4 w-full"> <div class=" font-sans leading-4 text-black"> <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-center gap-1 md:justify-start"> <span class="font-bold"> $20.51 <span class="font-medium">at Amazon</span> </span> </div> <div class="flex items-center justify-center gap-x-1 font-bold md:justify-start"> <span class="text-sm line-through">$39.99</span> <span class="text-sm text-brand-green">Save $19.48</span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </a></div> <h2 id="the-best-podcasts-like-the-handmaids-tale">The best podcasts like <em>The Handmaid's Tale</em></h2><p>Whether you want to catch every detail and discuss every behind-the-scenes decision or find narrative fiction exploring the same territory, here are some podcasts any fan of <em>The Handmaid’s Tale</em> should check out.</p><h3><em>Above the Garage</em></h3><div class="eloquent-imagery-image"> <div class="flex justify-center"> <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-7.fill.size_2000x2000.v1777398259.jpg" alt="Above the Garage" width="2000" height="2000" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-7.fill.size_800x800.v1777398259.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-7.fill.size_1400x1400.v1777398259.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-7.fill.size_2000x2000.v1777398259.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px"> </div> <div class="mt-2 font-akshar"> <span class="image-caption block text-sm leading-4 tracking-wide text-[#1F2937]"></span> <span class="mt-1 block font-sans text-xs tracking-normal text-gray-600">Credit: Podcast logo</span> </div> </div> <p>If you’re looking for a friendly deep-dive into <em>The Handmaid’s Tale</em>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/22LgsdGkFMXNaJtGfyRqby" target="_blank" title="open in a new window" rel="noopener">this podcast</a> is perfect. Kate Ettingoff and Kimberley Williams are superfans who have no compunction about thinking <em>way</em> too hard about each episode. If you can’t find any friends who want to stay up all night discussing the show with you, head on over to this podcast.</p><h3><em>Eyes on Gilead</em></h3><div class="eloquent-imagery-image"> <div class="flex justify-center"> <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-8.fill.size_2000x2000.v1777398259.jpg" alt="Eyes on Gilead" width="2000" height="2000" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-8.fill.size_800x800.v1777398259.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-8.fill.size_1400x1400.v1777398259.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-8.fill.size_2000x2000.v1777398259.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px"> </div> <div class="mt-2 font-akshar"> <span class="image-caption block text-sm leading-4 tracking-wide text-[#1F2937]"></span> <span class="mt-1 block font-sans text-xs tracking-normal text-gray-600">Credit: Podcast logo</span> </div> </div> <p>Hosts Fiona Williams, Haidee Ireland, Sana Qadar, and Natalie Hambly clearly love the show—but they also aren’t afraid to criticize it. The recaps offered by <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1j7hnYzp17EKbAKqyvslpW" target="_blank" title="open in a new window" rel="noopener"><em>Eyes on Gilead</em></a><em> </em>are detailed and thoughtful, but the hosts also have a lot of fun discussing the plot lines and themes, which is essential when said plots and themes are so dark and heavy.</p><h3><em>Eliza: A Robot Story</em></h3><div class="eloquent-imagery-image"> <div class="flex justify-center"> <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-9.fill.size_2000x2000.v1777398259.jpg" alt="Eliza: A Robot Story" width="2000" height="2000" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-9.fill.size_800x800.v1777398259.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-9.fill.size_1400x1400.v1777398259.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-9.fill.size_2000x2000.v1777398259.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px"> </div> <div class="mt-2 font-akshar"> <span class="image-caption block text-sm leading-4 tracking-wide text-[#1F2937]"></span> <span class="mt-1 block font-sans text-xs tracking-normal text-gray-600">Credit: Podcast logo</span> </div> </div> <p>Created in a partnership with the Pankhurst Trust and Manchester Women’s Aid (which are dedicated to challenging gender inequality and assisting victims of domestic violence), <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3qdilzcksXDxYpOTWF2czj" target="_blank" title="open in a new window" rel="noopener"><em>Eliza: A Robot Story</em></a><em> </em>focuses on a robot who falls in love with her owner, who then works to give her true sentience—but nothing is as it seems. The story explores the ways those who have power over us can be abusive and coercive in subtle ways, without resorting to violence, echoing some of the gaslighting the Handmaids experience in the show.</p><h3><em>The Gospel of Haven</em></h3><div class="eloquent-imagery-image"> <div class="flex justify-center"> <img class="border border-gray-100" src="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-10.fill.size_2000x2000.v1777398259.jpg" alt="The Gospel of Haven" width="2000" height="2000" loading="lazy" srcset="https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-10.fill.size_800x800.v1777398259.jpg 800w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-10.fill.size_1400x1400.v1777398259.jpg 1400w, https://lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01KQAJ4P376BAC7RXK1VAS2YK6/images-10.fill.size_2000x2000.v1777398259.jpg 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 1408px) 100vw, 1408px"> </div> <div class="mt-2 font-akshar"> <span class="image-caption block text-sm leading-4 tracking-wide text-[#1F2937]"></span> <span class="mt-1 block font-sans text-xs tracking-normal text-gray-600">Credit: Podcast logo</span> </div> </div> <p>For an exploration of the way society distorts and becomes increasingly oppressive when stressed, this wild sci-fi story fits the bill. In <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3vcEMggOqLz3OP1ZjSFbW4" target="_blank" title="open in a new window" rel="noopener"><em>The Gospel of Haven</em></a>,<em> </em>a community lives within their living god—literally inhabiting the divine body. Their ritualistic existence is devoted to keeping that body healthy, but when it begins to fail, whether from old age or disease, and their world starts to break down, those in power resort to greater and greater acts of desperate violence and oppression to maintain their grip. It mirrors the way Gilead forms in part as a reaction to an infertility crisis threatening humanity’s future, but addresses the process much more viscerally and directly.</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/handmaids-tale-streamalikes-books-movies-video-games-and-podcasts?utm_medium=RSS">https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/handmaids-tale-streamalikes-books-movies-video-games-and-podcasts?utm_medium=RSS</a></p>

Second Wind

via_negativa_feed

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 05:53 pm

Posted by Luisa A. Igloria

https://www.vianegativa.us/2026/04/second-wind/

https://www.vianegativa.us/?p=74791

Each time any of us comes back
from the brink, what kind of triumph
is it? Is it the soul or the muscles
trained a lifetime to hold things in,
to burble and breathe under water?
And those of us who have pulled
someone back, or stood in a hallway
after the chaos has settled, how
did we find the strength to return 
again and again to this work? 
What made it possible to steady 
our voices, our hands, to open 
the purse-strings a little wider, 
a little closer to the bottom? 
We're taught love is generous. 
Or it gives without making a tally, 
doing up sums. But love is also 
the crumpled bag under the sink, 
every shred of Kleenex in the bin, 
bottles of Acetaminophen+
Caffeine, endless hours before dawn 
wondering what helped and what didn't. 
Sometimes this is called patience. 
Other times, watchfulness and waiting. 
Maybe it's the soul, unfurling damp 
wings over everything it can reach, 
or the body stretching before what 
it believes could be the last long 
stretch it can run without stopping.

https://www.vianegativa.us/2026/04/second-wind/

https://www.vianegativa.us/?p=74791

I like you (and that is enough.) (Neville/Charlie, Other)

digthewriter

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 02:30 pm

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

Crossposts: https://digthewriter.insanejournal.com/449144.html

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These Are the Cheap Running Watches Worn by the London Marathon Winners

https://lifehacker.com/health/these-are-the-cheap-running-watches-worn-by-the-london-marathon-winners?utm_medium=RSS

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 06:00 pm

Posted by Beth Skwarecki

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

This weekend’s London Marathon was a phenomenal event, with not one but two men (Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha) breaking the sub-two-hour barrier that people used to say would never be broken. The women’s winner, Tigst Assefa, also smashed her own world record. So what kind of running watches do these elite marathoners wear? Mostly cheap ones, including older Garmins.

Garmin Forerunner 255 GPS Running Smartwatch (Gray)

I was able to confirm some of these runners’ specific watch models with Garmin and Coros. Since fans seem to be wondering whether the runners are sponsored by their respective watch companies, I also asked Garmin and Coros about sponsorships. Only two of the six appear to be sponsored. Here are the top three men and women:

Sabastian Sawe, with a world record time of 1:59:30: Garmin Forerunner 55 ($167). I confirmed this with Garmin. He is not sponsored by Garmin, though.
Yomif Kejelcha, the second person ever to run sub-2 with a time of 1:59:41: Coros Pace 3 ($199). He is not sponsored by Coros.
Jacob Kiplimo, 2:00:28: Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 ($349-$239 - unclear exactly which model, but not the Classic). He seems to be a sponsored athlete—here’s a Samsung article about how he uses the watch in his training.
Tigst Assefa, with a new women’s world record at 2:15:41: Garmin Forerunner 255 ($243). I also confirmed this with Garmin, and they do not sponsor her either.
Hellen Obiri, 2:15:5: Coros Pace 4 ($249). I confirmed this with Coros; she is a sponsored athlete, newly signed just before the race.
Joyciline Jepkosgei, 2:15:55: another older Garmin, which Ivan Jovin at Gadgets and Wearables identified as possibly the Forerunner 955 ($449). She is not sponsored by Garmin.

Of the six, four are wearing older models (released 2021-2023) with reflective MIP screens. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and the Coros Pace 4 are the only watches in this group that were released in the past year (and they are the only two with the more modern style AMOLED screen). Most of these watches cost less than $250.

That may be surprising if you think of running watches as a cutting-edge tool where newest is always best. But even though watch manufacturers keep coming out with new features, that doesn’t mean those features are necessary to support training and racing, even for elite runners. Ever since I started reviewing and writing about fitness watches, I’ve been asking every runner I meet what kind of watch they have. Most of the time, it’s an older Garmin. Sometimes they don’t even know what model. Basic watches make perfectly good workhorses, even for elite runners.

Why elite runners don’t wear top-tier watches

These mostly budget picks don't surprise me, because elites need to focus on what their body is doing, not what’s going on inside their watch. The most important job of a running watch on race day is letting you know what pace you’re running—especially if you’re betting everything on being able to break a certain world record. Even the most basic digital watches can tell you how long it’s been since the starting gun went off, but a modern GPS-enabled watch can also give you a reasonably accurate sense of how many miles you’ve gone and how far it is until the next mile marker. (That said, it’s the official race timing and distance that counts; your watch just gives an estimate.)

I haven’t spoken to these athletes myself, so what follows are my opinions based on knowing what running watches offer to the people who wear them. In short: Everything besides your time and pace is icing on the cake.

Elites don’t need the training scores and statuses that some watches offer; they have coaches handling that stuff. They don’t decide the day’s training based on how many steps they’re getting; again, they and their coaches, not tech, are in control. It doesn’t matter if the watch has 150+ activity modes if your only job is to run.

So why do newer watches have those features in the first place? A lot of the features are there to help you feel a little more elite. For example, you may not have a coach, but your watch can coach you by suggesting a workout. Watch features also aim to keep you interacting with the watch—checking your scores, tracking other activities besides running—which helps the watch company’s bottom line by getting more engagement from you and keeping you excited about the brand.

As I’ve mentioned before, companies keep adding features to justify new models and higher prices—just look at Garmin’s Forerunner 570, which has one athletically meaningful upgrade from the 265 (a more accurate heart rate sensor) and otherwise tacked on a lot of bells and whistles to justify what was, at the time, a $200 price hike. Meanwhile, I've loudly proclaimed that the Forerunner 255, which you can still buy new, is probably the best value Garmin out there.

None of the top-tier features actually help you run faster, unless it’s by keeping you more interested in the hobby of running. So it should be no surprise that professional runners don’t prioritize extra features. And I may be a mere recreational runner, but I’m quite happy to run with a basic watch, as well. How excited I get about fancy features really depends on how much I’m relying on the watch to structure the way I train. If you aren’t looking to the watch to make decisions for you, a basic watch is just fine.

https://lifehacker.com/health/these-are-the-cheap-running-watches-worn-by-the-london-marathon-winners?utm_medium=RSS

The Wild Shore, by Kim Stanley Robinson

rachelmanija

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 10:55 am

This was Robinson's first novel, one of a set of three set in future Orange County, Californias, exploring three different futures for America. The second one is about a future much like the present day, hyper-capitalist and dystopian. The third is set in an ecotopia which apparently involves lots of softball. (I've only read The Wild Shore, and gleaned this information from reviews of the others.) After reading The Ministry of the Future, I thought I'd give Robinson another try, and this book sounded most relevant to my personal interests. (I've attempted Years of Rice and Salt multiple times and never gotten very far in. It sounds so interesting!)

The Wild Shore is set about sixty years after the US was shattered by multiple neutron bombs, then quarantined by the rest of the world. It's now a bunch of extremely small, struggling towns which are kept separated from each other as the rest of the world uses satellite imagery to bomb them any time they attempt to do something like build railroad tracks. The California coast is patrolled by Japanese vessels who prevent them from sailing too far out. No one in the book has any idea who bombed the US or why, but given the quarantine I assume the US started the war and someone else finished it.

The book is narrated by Henry, who is 17 and lives in a village of 60. He hangs out with a bunch of mostly-indistinguishable other teenage boys. (I spent three-quarters of the book thinking Steve and Nicolin were two different boys. They are not. I wish writers wouldn't randomly call characters by their first or last name.) They fish and farm and trade with scavengers. Henry is the prize student of Tom, one of four elders who recall the pre-catastrophe days. It is immediately obvious that Tom's teachings are a mix of real and complete bullshit, but as the younger generation has no context or means of fact-checking, they tend to think it's either all true or all bullshit.

The village gets contacted by the remnants of San Diego, which wants to build a rail line and fight back against the quarantine. Henry gets sucked into this, with disastrous results.

This book is SLOW. I often like books that are mostly about daily life, but Henry's daily life was not that interesting - he spends a lot of time hanging out with boys and talking and thinking about girls and daddy issues, and you can get that in any contemporary novel about teenage boys. The only real character is Tom - everyone else is lightly sketched in at best. Girls and women are only present as girlfriends, potential girlfriends, and moms. (There's one girl who's the leader of the farmers, who are mostly women - the men are mostly fishers - but she doesn't get much to do.) The book was just barely interesting enough that I finished it, but it didn't end anywhere more interesting than the rest of it.

( Read more... )

Content note: Characters use racial slurs for Japanese people.

Tags:

Birdfeeding

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 12:54 pm

Today is cloudy, mild, and damp. It stormed most of yesterday. The patio was underwater several times. There are little logjams of twigs at the edges of where the giant puddles were. The fields have floodles, which is normal for this time of year. Finally.

I fed the birds. I haven't seen any yet.

I put some flats of plants outside to get some sun.

EDIT 4/28/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

.

Current Mood: busy

Tags:

Chat corner, anticipatory

annathecrow

dreamwars

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 07:54 pm

Hello,

this is the weekly chat post. May the 4th is closing in, are you planning anything?

I... will probably end up picking something up in Steam's May 4th sale, oops. (Collecting video games is like books right? Separate hobby from actually playing them...)

Tags:

chat corner

10 Shows Like 'For All Mankind' You Should Watch Next

https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/best-shows-like-for-all-mankind?utm_medium=RSS

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 05:30 pm

Posted by Ross Johnson

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Apple TV's sci-fi series For All Mankind starts with a tantalizing alt-history premise: What if Soviet space pioneer Sergei Korolev hadn’t died prematurely in 1966, but instead helped bring his country’s space program into full bloom, extending the space race indefinitely?

If America and the world had been forced to continue the space program, our past (and present) would look quite different—at least according to this show, which jumps across decades to imagine how that might have unfolded in an alternate past. (By the current fifth season, set in alt-2012, some humans are living off-planet in a Martian habitat.)

For All Mankind is both a great, generally hopeful alt-history narrative and a grounded, compelling science fiction show. As the penultimate season races toward its conclusion on Apple TV, here are 10 other ambitious shows that follow similarly winding paths.

The Man in the High Castle (2015 – 2019)

From the novel by Philip K. Dick (whose work has been the basis for Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, among many others), The Man in the High Castle is a political thriller set (mostly) in an alternate 1960s in which the Axis powers have won World War II, and in which the United States is split down the middle, with Japan governing the west and Germany overseeing the east. The title’s "man in the high castle" is a propaganda film (or is it?) that offers an alternate view that looks more like our our history books. As the show progresses through its four seasons, the parallels to our increasingly fascist-friendly world only grow. Stream The Man in the High Castle on Prime Video and Netflix.

The Man in the High Castle (2015 – 2019)

The Right Stuff (2020)

A second stab at adapting the 1979 Tom Wolfe book, this series isn't about space exploration exactly, but about the weird, winding road it took to get there. The show starts in 1959 with the selection of the seven pilots best suited for America's fledgling space program, individuals who brought sterling qualifications along with the butch and photogenic vibe needed to sell a multi-billion dollar program to 1960s Americans. With impeccable period style, it's at least as much about the building of a mythology as it is about the space race itself. Buy The Right Stuff from Prime Video.

The Right Stuff (2020)

From the Earth to the Moon (1998)

From the Earth to the Moon (1998)

Call this the alt-history to the alt-history of For All Mankind (OK, that's just "history"). This prestige miniseries dramatizes the real events of the space program, starting roughly with the Freedom 7 Mercury flight in 1961 and rocketing along to humanity's most recent moon landing with Apollo 17, just over a decade later. Largely an anthology, this docu-drama intersperses personal stories (the penultimate episode follows the wives and families of several astronauts) with more traditional mission drama. Executive producer Tom Hanks introduces most of the episodes, leading an all-star 1990s cast. Stream From the Earth to the Moon on HBO Max.

at HBO Max

Battlestar Galactica (2003 – 2009)

Not a perfect match for For All Mankind in either vibe or setting, there's nevertheless an intellectual and philosophical depth between that show and this one (worth noting that both share a creator in Ronald D. Moore). The Cylons, intelligent machines who have rebelled against their human masters, are inspired by their growing religious convictions to violently break free from their creators. Humanity is reduced to a population of just tens of thousands, and while the show dives into existential questions with surprising depth, we’re never allowed to forget that we’re seeing humankind more than decimated, surviving on a handful of rickety spaceships in search of a legendary world called "Earth." The oppressed become the oppressors, and while we mostly follow the human characters, the series never takes a hard stand on either side's moral superiority. Buy Battlestar Galactica from Prime Video or stream it on Pluto TV and Paramount+ starting May 1.

Battlestar Galactica (2003 – 2009)

The Expanse (2015 – 2022)

1983 (2018)

Sure, we've all wondered what would have happened if we hadn't slow-walked our way through the space program following the moon landing, but the real alt-history question is, what if the communist Polish People’s Republic had never fallen? This political thriller is largely set in 2003, twenty years after a series of bombings ended the hope for an end to the Cold War, which still continues behind an extant Iron Curtain. In this vision of Poland, digital surveillance is ever-present; art is censored; and personal behavior and sexual morality are restricted both legally and by means of a submissive population (the similarities to our allegedly more enlightened post-communist era are not incidental; they're the point). Law student Kajetan (Maciej Musiał) and national police investigator Anatol (Robert Więckiewicz) are thrown together in a web of conspiracy that might well result in a revolution. Stream 1983 on Netflix.

1983 (2018)

at Netflix

The Expanse (2015 – 2022)

Set in a somewhat near-ish future, The Expanse (based on the book series by James S.A. Corey) imagines a colonized solar system into which we’ve carried all of our old familiar problems, and then some: Earth sits at the historical and cultural center of things, while Mars colonists, by virtue of having to survive in a challenging environment, have developed technological and military superiority, and folks living in "the Belt" have had to scrabble to survive. Greed, fear, and shortsightedness make conflict nearly inevitable, even if the series isn’t quite as cynical as it at first appears. The Expanse shares with For All Mankind a practical view of human progress that never entirely gives way to cynicism; they also share a creative voice in executive producer (and frequent Ronald D. Moore collaborator) Naren Shankar. Stream The Expanse on Prime Video.

The Plot Against America (2020)

The Plot Against America (2020)

Another dark turn down an alternate path in American history, The Plot Against America asks, what if Charles Lindbergh had succeeded in his bid for political power in the 1930s, bringing to bear his vision of an America that followed in the footsteps of Nazi Germany by halting the “the infiltration of inferior blood” (by which he meant, mostly, Jewish people). Adapted from the book by Philip Roth, the series bends history, depicting Lindbergh's successful campaign for the American presidency against Franklin D. Roosevelt, which ultimately keeps the U.S. out of World War II—which results in things at home growing increasingly dangerous for the Jewish family at the show's center. Morgan Spector, Zoe Kazan, Winona Ryder, and John Turturro star. Stream The Plot Against America on HBO Max.

at HBO Max

Manhattan (2014 – 2015)

A loose, but still convincing, exploration of the Manhattan Project, this mostly true story nevertheless feels of a piece with For All Mankind in its look at a critical moment in human history—as well as for its impeccable period vibes. John Benjamin Hickey stars as the scientist Dr. Frank Winter, a composite of several real life figures, with Olivia Williams playing botanist (and Frank's wife), Liza. J. Robert Oppenheimer (played here by Daniel London) lurks in the background, with the show focusing mostly on the relentless drive of the scientists who developed technology that, for better and worse, would prove to be foundational to the space program. Stream Manhattan on Prime Video.

Manhattan (2014 – 2015)

https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/best-shows-like-for-all-mankind?utm_medium=RSS

Watchmen (2019)

This may seem like a stretch, but for my money, Watchmen stands with For All Mankind as an all-time-great alternate history, even if this one is a bit more fantastical, imagining the impacts of Jim Crow-era racial violence on a world that saw a rise of fascist superheroes in the 1980s. A standalone follow-up to the groundbreaking graphic novel by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and John Higgins, this series begins in an alternate Tulsa, Oklahoma, in a world where super-powered vigilantes exist but have been outlawed. Regina King plays Angela Abar, a modern cop whose grandparents were killed during the real-life Tulsa race massacre, an event that echoes throughout the series—it's a dystopia that doesn't look all that much different from our own, with masked police operating on the edges of the law, and overtly racist organizations that hold increasing political sway. Stream Watchmen on HBO Max.

Watchmen (2019)

at HBO Max

The First (2018)

Set in 2031, The First follows a hypothetical first crewed mission to Mars in the aftermath of a disaster that almost ended the whole effort. Inspired heavily by the real-life history that serves as a starting point for For All Mankind, this show follows the astronauts, their families, the ground crew, and even the tech CEOs who serve to put us on the rocky road to the red planet. Given that making it to 2031 is feeling a little optimistic at this moment, it might well end up looking like alt-history in just a few short years. Stream The First on Hulu.

The First (2018)

at Hulu

May London meetup

captainawkward_feed

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 04:16 pm

Posted by katepreach

https://captainawkward.com/2026/04/28/may-london-meetup-5/

http://captainawkward.com/?p=53203

Announcement: the audience for these has changed, so I’m going to do them once every three or four months instead of monthly. So please come to this May one if you’re interested, there won’t be another until probably August.

9th May, 1pm, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, SE1 8XX.

We will be on Level 5 blue side (the upper levels are no longer closed to non-ticket-holders), but I don’t know exactly where on the floor. It will depend on where we can find a table.

I have shoulder length brown hair, and will have my plush Chthulu which looks like this:

Please obey any rules posted in the venue.

The venue has lifts to all floors and accessible toilets. The accessibility map is here:

Click to access 21539-32_Access-Map_DIGI.pdf

The food market outside (side away from the river) is pretty good for all sorts of requirements, and you can also bring food from home, or there are lots of cafes on the riverfront.

Other things to bear in mind:

1. Please make sure you respect people’s personal space and their choices about distancing.

2. We have all had a terrible time for the last six years. Sharing your struggles is okay and is part of what the group is for, but we need to be careful not to overwhelm each other or have the conversation be entirely negative. Where I usually draw the line here is that personal struggles are fine to talk about but political rants are discouraged, but I may have to move this line on the day when I see how things go. Don’t worry, I will tell you!

3. Probably lots of us have forgotten how to be around people (most likely me as well), so here is permission to walk away if you need space. Also a reminder that we will all react differently, so be careful to give others space if they need.

Please RSVP if you’re coming so I know whether or not we have enough people. If there’s no uptake I will cancel a couple of days before.

kate DOT towner AT gmail DOT com

https://captainawkward.com/2026/04/28/may-london-meetup-5/

http://captainawkward.com/?p=53203

5 Years, 100 Poems

swan_tower

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 05:47 pm

When I sold my twentieth poem recently, I found myself wondering: how many poems have I written?

Several other questions instantly followed in its wake. How far back am I counting? (All the way to that poetry book we did in second or third grade, that I only remember because my parents found it when they moved?) Do I count failed-but-complete drafts of poems I later wrote very differently? (Or are those the same poem . . .) What about incidental things I've tossed off that don't really feel like they should count, like that senryu about jet lag written while, yes, horrifically jet-lagged? (There are probably things in this category I don't even remember: I keep good records, but not perfect ones.)

I finally decided on three rules:

1) Only poems written since I Began Writing Poetry (with "The Great Undoing") count.
2) Early failed drafts of later poems do not count.
3) To count, I must consider the poem "successful" -- meaning worth either posting online or submitting to markets.

By those metrics, I had ninety. And then I asked myself the last, fatal question:

When did I write "The Great Undoing," anyway?

The answer, my friends, is April 2021.

A mad plan instantly proposed itself. I had eleven days left in April, and I was a mere ("mere") ten poems away from one hundred in five years. (Ish. I've attempted to find out when in April I wrote "The Great Undoing," with no success. I decided the anniversary month was good enough.) Could I get myself to that line before the month was out -- understanding that I needed not only to write ten more poems, but ten I considered successful?

As you can guess from this post, the answer is "yes." In part because I got a sizable boost when I remembered four haiku/senryu I'd written for an exchange last summer, which I'd never done anything with; upon examination, I found they were in fact not bad and I should send them somewhere. But I've written six poems I think are successful in the last week: a rate that would have seemed inconceivable to me just a few years ago, when one a month was about all I could manage. And I didn't go only for low-hanging fruit, either; this includes a garland cinquain, elegiac couplets (a Latin meter English does not play nice with), a fifty-six-line nonce form that rhymes throughout . . .

. . . and a sestina. Specifically, the sestina that has been my white whale since 2007, long before I Began Writing Poetry, when my crit group gently told me that a flash piece I'd written was not very good but yes, my vague thought that maybe it should be a poem? was probably right. I've taken several runs at it over the years, though none in the last five. So of course I decided it needed to be Number One Hundred. (Quoth my sister: "Call Me Ishmarie.")

I finally did it. And so, in celebration, I leave you with Poem #101, with apologies for hopping on a bandwagon only slightly less overloaded than Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah":

This Is Just to Say

I have written
the poem
that I've failed at
for nineteen years

and which
had become
my
white whale

Actually
it turns out
it wasn't
that hard

(originally posted at Swan Tower: https://is.gd/hhzpX6)

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poetry

3W4DW Icon Request Fest

reeby10

fandomcalendar

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 01:31 pm

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Photo cross-post

andrewducker

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 12:30 pm

Shortcut home through the cherry blossom
Original is here on Pixelfed.scot.

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photos,
pixelfed

National Superhero Day

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 12:17 pm

Today is National Superhero Day. Here are some resources...

Celebrate National Superhero Day at Dinner

How to Celebrate National Superhero Day

A Superheroes List! 20 Superhero Day Activities

Ultimate Guide to Planning a Superhero Party for Kids
Looks like the same tips will work just as well for adult fans.

I have two relevant series:

Polychrome Heroics is my superhero fantasy series.

Skills Heroes Need is nonfiction about knowledge useful in emergencies.

Current Mood: busy

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Apple's New Subscription Payment Option Isn't Coming to the US

https://lifehacker.com/tech/you-can-now-pay-for-annual-apple-subscriptions-on-a-monthly-basis?utm_medium=RSS

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 05:00 pm

Posted by Jake Peterson

I can't stand when a subscription tells me its "monthly" price, when, in actuality, the plan charges me annually. Sure, when you divide the yearly cost by 12, the price looks better, but if I'm paying all at once for the year, then it's really not that amount per month. It's all a way to get more customers in the digital door, and I'm sure it works—even if I'm not happy about it.

Apple's new plan improves annual subscriptions

While this pricing isn't going anywhere anytime soon, there is a positive change on the way—for most of the world, anyway. As highlighted by MacRumors, Apple is giving developers a new type of subscription plan to market to their users. In addition to annual subscriptions, developers can now offer customers monthly subscriptions with a 12-month commitment. Essentially, this plan lets you pay that advertised monthly price per month, so long as you commit to a year of payments. It's not quite the same as offering a monthly subscription at that price, but it's better than forcing everyone to pay for a year all at once.

That said, this is still a 12-month commitment. Apple considers a customer who takes this plan the same as one who pays in full, and it isn't letting users who cancel early off the hook. While you can cancel at any time, you're still responsible for any remaining payments through the end of your commitment. All cancelling early really accomplishes is ensuring you aren't enrolled in another 12 months of payments for the following year.

Apple says any customer who subscribes to one of these monthly installment plans can see the number of payments they've completed, as well as how many remaining payments are left on their plan. This information is available under the "Subscriptions" section of your Apple Account. In addition, Apple's subscription reminders are still in effect here, so the company will warn you before you end up stuck in another year-long commitment. That should make it reasonably easy to manage your subscription and make a decision on whether you want to keep paying once the renewel is up.

This plan isn't coming to the U.S.

Developers can test the subscription offers in Xcode starting today, and Apple plans to roll them out globally to all users with the launch of iOS 26.5—though users on at least iOS 26.4 will have access. The major downside here is that there are two countries exempt from this new pricing: Singapore and the United States. Despite being home to Apple, the U.S. won't have access to this new subscription type, which means those of us in the States will still be stuck with the traditional annual plans.

I'm not exactly sure why Apple is limiting the plan this way. It's not like the U.S., Singapore, and a host of other countries are left out here, or that Apple is starting with a small pool of countries as an initial trial. These are the only two countries in the world excluded here. Once iOS 26.5 is here, all Apple users across the globe will be able to pay monthly for annual plans—minus these two countries. There must be something about the U.S. and Singapore customer base that would lead Apple to limit the feature's rollout, but, in my view, this subscription change only makes it more likely for customers to enroll (and limit the number of angry customers who didn't realize they were signing up for a full year after seeing the monthly price).

https://lifehacker.com/tech/you-can-now-pay-for-annual-apple-subscriptions-on-a-monthly-basis?utm_medium=RSS

(no subject)

maju

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 01:12 pm

My leg was acting up again in the early hours this morning. It seems to be because I can't lie on my right side with my right leg stretched out and my left leg drawn right up because if I lie like that I get a bad back ache. So it's a choice between a back ache (which can be fairly debilitating) or an uncomfortable leg (which doesn't last long once I wake up and move around). It's annoying but I can deal.

My daughter and I have just discovered phlox. They're in full bloom everywhere here right now, flowing over rocks, along the tops of rock walls, and along the edges of paths. We didn't know what they were, but my daughter was talking about this particular plant she wants to have growing in her yard, and as she talked I realised this plant sounded like the ones on a rock wall near here I'd walked past a few times. So yesterday evening we went for a short walk with Eden and Aria to have a look at these plants; when we came to the place where I'd seen them my daughter took photos and using an image search, was able to identify them. My daughter is a keen gardener (inherited from her father, not from me) and has been remodelling their yard since they moved in here at the end of 2022. She's been growing herbs and a few vegetables in the side yard for a couple of seasons, and now is working on the other side of the yard towards the back of the lot.

Superpowers

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 12:06 pm

13 Queer Supers Stories for Superhero Day!

Happy Superhero Day!! We love a good caped (or uncaped) crusader, and so we present a list of our favorite superhero stories. Reminder, though, that the line between a hero and a villain is thin, and that a magical girl is a flavor of superhero, right?

These look promising.

If you want more, see my QUILTBAG Characters list and scroll down to Polychrome Heroics where some of them have superpowers. Antimatter and Stalwart Stan is queer teen enemies-to-lovers.

Current Mood: busy

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ICONS: Various Fandoms

tarlanx

Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 05:56 pm

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Books