In the wake of Donald Trump winning the presidency again, books about democracy, dystopia, tyranny, feminism and far-right politics are rapidly climbing bestseller charts. A number of classics have rejoined the top 20 bestsellers list since Nov. 5.
According to Amazon, the dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which takes place in a theocratic, male-dominated future America where the Constitution is suspended, media is censored and women are forced to bear children for the ruling class, went up 6,866% in only one day.
Margaret Atwood’s book, which has been adapted into an award-winning Hulu series, jumped from 209 on Amazon’s list of bestsellers to number 2. Atwood also took to social media platform X to express her thoughts on the election’s outcome.
Despair is not an option. It helps no one. pic.twitter.com/owauYG1XtH
— Margaret E Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) November 7, 2024
It’s not the only book associated with totalitarianism that rose in the rankings. Sales of George Orwell’s “1984” surged 250%, making it the 14th bestseller. Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” jumped to 16th place with sales up 300%.
It’s also not just those who are displeased with Trump’s win who are turning to the shelves. Soon-to-be-First-Lady-again Melania Trump’s book and Vice President-elect JD Vance’s memoir remain popular and have seen a boost in sales since Tuesday night, Nov. 5.
The self-titled “Melania” was first place in Amazon’s ranking while Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy” was number 6 as of Friday morning, Nov. 8.
