Author Topic: Roadside Picnic  (Read 6266 times)

beardiebloke

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on: April 05, 2007, 04:50:09 PM
I finished this book a couple of days ago and thought it was pretty cool.  Has anyone else here read it?

It's by two brothers, Boris & Arkady Strugatsky, written in 1971 and you can buy it on Amazon for not too much money.

It's set on Earth after alien visitations leave behind a number of zones in which the laws of physics are turned upside down.  These zones are dangerous places but littered with bizarre artifacts that are sought after by governments, scientists and collectors.  The main character, Red, is a stalker, a person who is drawn to the zone to collect these artifacts in return for cash.  It's illegal and seriously dangerous but he does it anyway.  He's a very tough guy who spends time in jail, drinks, fights and then drinks some more.  Certainly not the kind of guy you want marrying your daughter.

I felt there's a lot to like about the story.  For one thing, it creates quite a vivid world while still leaving plenty to the imagination.  After all, it's just like Earth, only messed up in places.  It also skips around a lot without being too disorienting, managing to span a lot of time that way.  Plus, while the characters go through a great deal of hardship, they don't seem to get too down about life.

I heard about it because a game called S.T.A.L.K.E.R is out that's loosely based on the book.  Not played it yet but I feel a purchase coming on...

EDIT: I should add that explaining the title of the book would be bit of a spoiler...so I won't.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2007, 10:25:10 PM by beardiebloke »



Simon

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Reply #1 on: April 06, 2007, 04:46:57 PM
Ass kicking story,  pretty good movie by Tarkovsky too (Stalker) although its as overblown as all Tarkovsky...

I love the brothers Strugatsky, its a great pity they aren't permanently in print...



beardiebloke

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Reply #2 on: April 06, 2007, 08:19:41 PM
Hey Simon, so what would you recommend for my second Strugatsky novel?



Simon

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Reply #3 on: April 07, 2007, 11:32:34 AM
To be honest, it really is a battle of what you can get your hands on because the printings are so episodic.

The Strugatskys are the biggest SF writers Russia has ever produced, and were very popular in the Soviet Union, but SF is extremely anglo-centric and you can pretty much only get English language and Stanislaw Lem.  The only reason I have a fair sized collection of Strugatskys is a distant family link - Ted Sturgeon was a huge fan and pushed a number of friends to get them published in America, this is why you often find he wrote the introduction, since my mother was an old friend of Sturgeon's she managed to get her hands on a fair few copies.

Prisoners of Power is the most commonly available but not their finest in terms of story (It always reminds me of The Stainless Steel Rat For President, which I have loved since my early teens).  Far Rainbow is also damn good, but the real gold dust is the short stories if you can find them.

Amazon is by far your best bet tho, because they don't stay in print and they aren't popular.



wakela

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Reply #4 on: April 08, 2007, 11:13:08 PM
I took a Russian Literature and Film class in college, and we read Roadside.  It's one of my favorite stories.
We also saw that Tarkovsky film, and it's something one needs to be in the mood for.

A few years ago I saw a 60 Minutes piece about Chernobyl.  They've built a structure called The Sarcophagus around the reactor.  There is a small group of people who enter the sarcophagus to collect samples for scientists and run tests and things.   Only these people know how to navigate the decaying structure, and they report weird phenomena caused by damage, rust, and intense radiation.  You aren't the only one who thinks this sounds eerily familiar.  They actually call these people Stalkers.   

I tried to find something on the Intertubes about this, but apparently there is a game called Stalker Chernobyl, and it was gumming up my search results. 



Startrekwiki

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Reply #5 on: April 14, 2007, 07:18:44 PM
A few years ago I saw a 60 Minutes piece about Chernobyl.  They've built a structure called The Sarcophagus around the reactor.  There is a small group of people who enter the sarcophagus to collect samples for scientists and run tests and things.   Only these people know how to navigate the decaying structure, and they report weird phenomena caused by damage, rust, and intense radiation.  You aren't the only one who thinks this sounds eerily familiar.  They actually call these people Stalkers.   

Wow. I knew about the sarcophagus, but not about the "Stalkers". I also heard that, when reactor #4 blew, a few days later, the USSR government sent soldiers to pick the dust off the ground with shovels. They had to stay there for only thirty seconds, or that soldier would die from poisoning.
Also, after the disaster, in more recent times, Прапріят, the city where the nuclear workers lived, and, I think 50 miles around that point have been converted into wildland for animals. Though this is true, there are still very few people living there.


I have also seen the documentary as part of a PLAST (Ukrainian Scouts) presentation. It's an very good short film.



Roney

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Reply #6 on: April 23, 2007, 03:04:40 PM
Looks like it's a little easier to get hold of in the UK.  I've just spotted it as part of the Gollancz SF Masterworks series.  (#68, I think.  Amazon.co.uk says it was released in Feb.) (Which makes it 5th on my list of pending book purchases.)



clichekiller

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Reply #7 on: April 23, 2007, 06:13:27 PM
...
Also, after the disaster, in more recent times, Прапріят, the city where the nuclear workers lived, and, I think 50 miles around that point have been converted into wildland for animals. Though this is true, there are still very few people living there.
Apparently they were very surprised when wildlife started reappearing.  What's more the higher order mammals like bears were showing very little if no ill effect of the radiation. 



Startrekwiki

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Reply #8 on: April 28, 2007, 06:31:31 PM
There is also the fact that most people are surprised when they find out that there are only vegetable mutations in the Chernobyl area.