in 1987 a british award was given to the handmaids tale
the handmaid s tale won the 1985 governor general s award and the first arthur c clarke award in 1987  it was also nominated for the 1986 nebula award  the 1986 booker prize  and the 1987 prometheus award
the arthur c clarke award is a british award given for the best science fiction novel first published in the united kingdom during the previous year