I still say there is very little daylight between The Handmaid's Tale and any random Gor novel. The only difference is in the Gor universe the guys are actually enjoying it.
SO many tv shows are just gore porn. It's horrible when you think how much murder and sexual assault we all witness on a near daily basis via the tv shows we watch. That baggage is being carried around in our head somewhere.
The book is much better than the show, but both examine what living in a Christian-facist state would look like. The graphic depictions serve as a warning: “this won’t be fun.” It’s kind of scary how prescient the book is.
Finally, a perfectly succinct explanation for why I can't stand watching The Handmaid's Tale.