Post 2

The controlling society in The Handmaid's Tale reminds me of a Communist society where everything is determined by the government and traitor's are killed. I remember hearing and reading about how the "brightest and best" in academics or sports in the communist countries were paired and married to foster a more perfect society through the children they would have. Not that far off from this book, although not quite as controlled. The treatment of women also compares to the total lack of regard that most Islamic countries have for women, except as a symbol of ownership with no mind of their own, or no reason to think for themselves.
If R&D continues at the rate that it is going, I could easily see societies being segregated, divided, protected, and maybe even destroyed as it was in Oryx and Crake, although I'm still a little leary of the Crakers.
I'm not at all convinced of time travel as in All you Zombies or robots who can actually reason as in Robot Dreams. Neither of these seem likely as a future achievement, although that is what was once said about cloning, too.