To me, the main message of this excellent novel concerns the possible future that lies before us where genetic engineering has gone too far and we are left in a very dangerous world full of the potential of widespread diseases that could wipe out humanity and having to face the consequences of science that has outreached sensible limits. We are presented with a world which has become too technologically sophisticated for its own good. The ability to create a super race and for it to populate the earth asks massive questions about how far we should try to "play God"--repeating a question that has been asked many times in many different forms down the centuries. Atwood shows us one possible future scenario if we are unable to curb our curiosity with sensible ethical constraint.