The Handmaid’s Tale is cautionary dystopian fiction meant to reflect some of the ugly facets of our own society.
By contrast, Alias Grace is a partially fictionalized account of the grisly murders that Irish immigrant Grace Marks may or may not have committed in the 19th century.
So while some fans have been quick to draw comparisons between The Handmaid’s Tale and Alias Grace for their visual and tonal similarities — both focus on cloak-clad, persecuted women who find strength in the face of oppression — they are two very different stories.
They’re certainly similar because they both come from Margaret Atwood’s distinct point of view — and she’s involved behind the scenes on both of these shows — but they’re unique enough to respectively stand on their own.