Who are Margaret Atwood’s readers in 2009?

As a younger woman, I read Margaret Atwood’s Robber Bride. It was my first real introduction to “literary fiction”, and I was hooked. Robber Bride is the story of three women with undertones of feminism, as much of Atwood’s novels were in the 1980s and 90s. I went on to read Cat’s Eye, Blind Assasin, and Alias Grace. In the fall of 2000, my mom and I went to see Atwood speak at a library event in the Twin Cities. After her talk, she stayed to sign books. As I approached the table, I got nervous. Here was MARGARET ATWOOD!!! Unfortunately, I rambled and babbled incoherently to her. She simply smiled at me serenely. I then discovered a novel of Atwood’s that I had missed: The Handmaid’s Tale. It still was well written and had feminist undertones, but it was, well, science fiction. Science fiction? I had never read science fiction, it never held much appeal to me. Was I enjoying Handmaid’s Tale because by that time I was already an Atwood fan or did I actually like science fiction? Either way, I liked it, so I decided not to worry about it. In 2003, Atwood published a book called Oryx and Crake. Again, well written and science fiction. (Both Handmaid’s Tale and Oryx are set in the future in a rather dismal world). For me, Handmaid’s Tale was all about people, Oryx was about science, technology, and the affect it would have on all of creation. Still, I loved it. It was dark and alarming. Atwood’s latest book is The Year of the Flood. Again, the book is set in a futuristic environmental catastrophe . I read the book on audio and it was the kind of book that I really didn’t mind getting stuck behind a slow driver because it meant I could hear more of the book. I would drive home and sit in my car in front of the driveway until my family peered out the windows with the “Aren’t you coming in?” look (even from the dogs). So, I guess after three science fiction books by Atwood, I do like science fiction, or at least I like it Atwood style. It got me to thinking, have her other readers come along with her as I have? Atwood continues to be a bestseller. Is it the same readers? Much of Atwood’s non science fiction novels are rich for discussion for the books groups I have been involved in, but would my book groups ever discuss Handmaid’s Tale, Oryx, or Year of the Flood? Would they even read it? Am I wrong to assume they wouldn’t go for it? Am I too unwilling to put Atwood on the book group table, just in case the group ripped apart the book(s) rather than coddled them? Who knows if I’ll ever find out. Still, I’m curious to know, who are Atwood’s readers today?