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Boris Strugatsky
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Arkady Strugatsky
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Roadside Picnic (SF Collector's Edition) Paperback

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,607 ratings
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Red Schuhart is a stalker, one of those strange misfits compelled to venture illegally into the Zone and collect the strange artefacts that the alien visitors left scattered there. His whole life, even the nature of his daughter, is determined by the Zone.
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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Orion Pub Co
  3. Dimensions
    5.35 x 0.51 x 8.5 inches
  4. ISBN-10
    0575070536
  5. ISBN-13
    978-0575070530
  6. See all details
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Product details

  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0575070536
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0575070530
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.35 x 0.51 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,607 ratings

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  1. Boris Strugatsky

    Boris Strugatsky

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  2. Arkady Strugatsky

    Arkady Strugatsky

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
2,607 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

BubbaZanetti
5.0 out of 5 stars Please Don't Litter
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2011
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Roadside Picnic is a stupendous piece of SF, but it is not for everyone. The Strugatsky brothers are infinitely curious about man more so than aliens, and use the genre to probe what it means to be human, and how our society both shapes, elevates and destroys us. In Roadside Picnic you have an amazing premise, that some aliens stopped on earth and then jetted off after leaving their trash behind, a premise that most other writers would focus on and explore at length. The Strugatsky bros use that idea as a mere backdrop to a story about the best and the worst instincts in all of us. A good deal of tension is derived from the explorations of the Zone, and it's wonderfully described and mined for narrative, but what sticks with you most after reading this book are the changes the protagonist goes through during the story and the ultimate, almost Faustian steps he takes away from humanity at the very end of the book. This story sears itself in your brain by forcing you to question what it means to be in need next to what could be a virtual goldmine of wealth. Sure, Roadside Picnic has aliens, but is also has alienated humanity. It has strange, almost magically scientific devices, but it also has real people with real problems making hard choices to survive. This is a book to come back to and savor. There are plenty of Galactic Adventure stories out there that are a lot of fun. There are alternate-earth mysteries and swashbuckling escapades and Hard SF full of technical conundrums. But then there are the Strugatsky brothers, and their stories that hold the mirror up to our world, and we find that even on the farthest planet or in the most fantastic locale we are still faced with ethical decisions that might have a bigger impact than that alien invasion everyone is so afraid of.
25 people found this helpful
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Amazon Creek
4.0 out of 5 stars Book Picnic & Movie Stalker
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2011
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I came to this book after having watched Tarkovsky's film "Stalker" three times, and reading that Roadside Picnic was the inspiration for the movie. First, I am one of the people who loved the movie. It is magical and unforgettable. But Stalker takes some elements of this book and leaves many others behind.

Specifically, Picnic seems to be about the venality, vulgarity and confusion of the human world, which is brought to light by the way in which organized bodies such as government/business and particular individuals deal with the alien "Zones," and everyone's efforts to exploit the mysterious and potent artifacts they contain. & not only are there weird artifacts, the Zones are potentially deadly places, where physical laws are transformed and the psychology of visitors is affected. In Picnic the Zones are swarmed with opportunistic types taking various shots at cashing in --- there are old-school "local" Stalkers & new-school wannabe Stalkers, or guides to the Zone, as well as robots going in to get the loot. Governments, "the opposition," and all types of middlemen and commercial concerns are hanging about the edges trying to control things or get rich.

In this environment, the protaganist, Red, who is an old-school "pre-visitation" Stalker & local to the area, makes his way. Early on he works for the government, earning a salary by helping scientists to extract objects of interest from the Zone. Later he brings things out to sell on the black market. By the end of the book, as the unpleasant, pervasive and mutative effects of the Zone upon the world is revealed, as is the bottomless, dirty & complex relationship between the various interested agencies, it seems that Red Stalks the Zone not for anyone, but just because that is what he is, a Stalker. His relationship is primarily with his own destiny in terms of the Zone itself. The final trip into the Zone is an attempt to extract a "golden ball" which is said to grant "one's deepest wish."

The movie Stalker on the other hand does not depict the Zone as a commercial motherlode. In Stalker, there is a lot of unstated history which the viewer can infer from the visuals and the few words said. Here, the government's early attempt to militarily "take on" the Zone seems to have resulted in failure, and the Zone has become a wasteland. The government's job has become, simply, to keep people out. The Stalker in the film illegally smuggles people into the Zone, in this case a writer and a scientist, to attempt to find the room or source that "grants one's deepest wish." It seems more a metaphysical tourist thing. I don't remember if they mention the Stalker getting paid for this or not, but the feeling is that he does get paid, although that is not his own primary motivation for going in. This Stalker is something like a wretched religious devotee to the Zone, with which he is intimate, familiar, but which neither he nor anyone else understands. He is tortured by this relationship, but it seems he cannot keep out. I would guess that 80% of the film takes place either inside the Zone or on the journey there. The movie is primarily about how we face that which is most meaningful, the compulsion in that, the pain in that, the burden in that, and the beauty we find in that.

Yes it is true that the Picnic book gets to the matter of the golden ball at the end, at which point the ball seems to stop being a commercial object for Red, the Stalker. But the weight of the book, and the location of 80% of its action, is outside of the Zone, dealing with the nastiness of the world's depraved desires to exploit it. Artistically, to me, the movie is infinitely superior. The book gets A- for writing (unusual sustained tone, which could use a little more modulation), B for visuals, B for character depiction, A+ inventiveness, A+ for thought provoking thematic scope, and A++ for inspiring the movie, which is really special.
14 people found this helpful
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Joe
5.0 out of 5 stars I can see why its all the rage
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2023
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I heard about this book awhile back when I was playing the STALKER series of video games. I never got around to reading it back then, but I had it recommended to me several times. Well after finally reading it I can say it lives up to it's reputation. This book gives you more of the STALKER attitude that the game captured so well. One thing I found interesting was how well the book displayed the Zeitgeist in the USSR at the time of writing, through its setting and characters. Anyhow, I very much enjoyed this one and I highly recommend it.
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E. C. Reed
5.0 out of 5 stars I'm in love with this book (and Redrick Schuhart)
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2011
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I first bought this book because I watched the film Stalker which was, if you ask me, one of the best movies of all time. I've always thought a movie based on a book is never as good as the book itself, so I bought the book and was NOT disappointed. Infact, it exceeded my expectations. Now I wish they had changed a few things in the movie to be more like the book, but this isn't a review for the movie this is a review for the book so therefore, I continue.

This book is the first book I have ever been able to read more than once (I've read it twice in one week). I only put it down for sleeping, school, and work. Note that I didn't say "eating", because I ate almost ever meal with this book in my hands. It's a great story about humanity, human emotions, tragedy, joy, and it also brings life into perspective. It's a very deep story that really got me thinking and inspired me verry much with my own writing.

This whole story is intelligent and enjoyable, and the ending really packed a punch for me. The characters are amazing, deep, and more like living people than characters. And I especially loved the man who the book followed the most, Redrick, to the point I am willing to publicly state that I would marry him.

I am willing to bet all that I own you will enjoy this book, so don't just sit there reading this, buy it! And trust me, after reading this book, you will definately want to read more by Arkady and Boris. I haven't read any others, but I'm planning on it very soon. I'm not sure if they could get better than this book, but the Strugatsky Brothers seem very talented and I wouldn't be surprised if they pull of something even greater, though I would be very impressed.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Zainab Ahmad Ezzat
5.0 out of 5 stars Värt priset!
Reviewed in Sweden on February 7, 2024
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Jätte bra kvalitet, boken är fantastisk att läsa
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Great Product ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Reviewed in Spain on January 12, 2024
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New, arrived fast and great book.
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Hugo
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
Reviewed in the Netherlands on July 27, 2023
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Really liked the down-to-earth experience of people in extraordinary situations created by the premise of the book. Not too abstract or technical, really nice story through the eyes of a stalker and other people involved in the Zone.
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Subhadeep Kundu
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best novels I have ever read.
Reviewed in India on May 26, 2022
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After playing S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chornobyl, I wanted to learn more about it's world and lore. Then I stumbled upon a discussion on the S.T.A.L.K.E.R subreddit where I found out about this book. I was immediately interested in it. So I bought this book and now it is one of my favourites.
7 people found this helpful
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Joanne
5.0 out of 5 stars Fast delivery, great condition
Reviewed in Canada on September 11, 2020
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Despite an expected delivery of September 8 the book arrived weeks earlier. It's in beautiful condition and for those who like dystopian fiction this is a classic. Definitely worth the investment.
One person found this helpful
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