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.