"The Stepford Wives" is a 1972 science fiction novel by Ira Levin that explores themes of gender roles and conformity. The story follows Joanna Eberhart, a woman who moves to the seemingly perfect suburban community of Stepford, where the wives appear to be submissive and overly devoted to their husbands. As Joanna investigates, she uncovers a disturbing secret about the town's women. The novel was adapted into a film in 1975 and later remade in 2004, both of which highlight the tension between traditional domesticity and women's independence. The term "Stepford wife" has since become a cultural reference for women who conform to stereotypical roles, often at the expense of their individuality.