Ciliophora. A subphylum of the Protozoa. The ciliates are a fairly homogeneous group of highly differentiated, unicellular organisms. Over 5000 species have been described, and many more surely exist but remain to be discovered. Typically, ciliates are larger than most other protozoans, ranging from 10 to 3000 micrometers (about 1/2500 to 1/8 in.).
First published in 1985, The Handmaid's Tale is a novel of such power that the reader is unable to forget its images and its forecast. With more than two million copies in print, it is Margaret Atwood's most popular and compelling novel.
And so the tale unfolds. When I first began âThe Handmaidâs Taleâ it was called âOffred,â the name of its central character. This name is composed of a manâs first name, âFred,â and a prefix denoting âbelonging to,â so it is like âdeâ in French or âvonâ in German, or like the suffix âsonâ in English last names like Williamson.