Scan barcode
mwalsh97's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
I perfectly understand what this book is about but also have zero idea.
It’s beautiful, it’s dark, it fucking weird. And it was utterly amazing. This is the kind of book that should be in high school English classes.
Add-on as of 7/3: I have not been able to stop thinking about this book. I like it more and more as it marinates in my brain.
It’s beautiful, it’s dark, it fucking weird. And it was utterly amazing. This is the kind of book that should be in high school English classes.
Add-on as of 7/3: I have not been able to stop thinking about this book. I like it more and more as it marinates in my brain.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Misogyny, and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy
speir's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Sexism, and Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Death, and Pregnancy
sunn_bleach's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This'll be one of those books that I like more for the ideas than the content itself. "Roadside Picnic" is easily one of the most influential books of contemporary science fiction through the two pieces of media shouted-out on the cover. The Zone is fascinating, and I find myself dining on and thinking about the various horrific conceits in the novel. Many of the more insidious aspects are mentioned off-hand, as if the "traps" (how else to think of them from a human perspective?) have become mundane.
However, the book itself is... kind of boring. Perhaps this is because it's so short, at less than 200 pages for most modern editions. You have an initial foray into the Zone, but it's bookended by lots of talking and drinking with what felt like cursory examination of the weirdness that comes from the Zone. And I'm not convinced that banality is its own point; "Roadside Picnic" isn't a character study, as bolstered by Boris Strugatsky's own afterword. Dialogue feels mismatched, and chapters stop right as events start t move. For a book about the Zone and people's relationship to it, there's an awful lot of puttering about.
The high point is the conversation between Pillman and Noonan. The former's theory about aliens having the eponymous roadside picnic and leaving their trash for smaller creatures to obsess over is an absolutely fascinating postmodern outlook on man's purpose in the universe. The Strugatskys knocked those 10 or 15 pages out of the Zone's garage.
I'm glad I read this for the influence on some media that I adore, but it would be a hard sell to someone who isn't deeply invested in the history of Russian science fiction or just wants to get more out of the "Stalker" media.
However, the book itself is... kind of boring. Perhaps this is because it's so short, at less than 200 pages for most modern editions. You have an initial foray into the Zone, but it's bookended by lots of talking and drinking with what felt like cursory examination of the weirdness that comes from the Zone. And I'm not convinced that banality is its own point; "Roadside Picnic" isn't a character study, as bolstered by Boris Strugatsky's own afterword. Dialogue feels mismatched, and chapters stop right as events start t move. For a book about the Zone and people's relationship to it, there's an awful lot of puttering about.
The high point is the conversation between Pillman and Noonan. The former's theory about aliens having the eponymous roadside picnic and leaving their trash for smaller creatures to obsess over is an absolutely fascinating postmodern outlook on man's purpose in the universe. The Strugatskys knocked those 10 or 15 pages out of the Zone's garage.
I'm glad I read this for the influence on some media that I adore, but it would be a hard sell to someone who isn't deeply invested in the history of Russian science fiction or just wants to get more out of the "Stalker" media.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity, Sexism, and Pregnancy
spacecorn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I've seen many people in the reviews argue that this book doesn't have enough of a plot.
I argue that it shouldn't be any other way.
When you think of science fiction, what do you typically think of? Star Wars, Star Trek, Back to the Future, Metropolis, heck even Dune. What do all of these pieces of media have in common?
They all feature things so improbable that they tiptoe the line between science and fantasy, and most importantly, they are all set in the future.
I would argue that Roadside Picnic is a true science fiction novel. It is set in the present day and features normal people facing the cosmic horror of the unknown. Now yes, you could argue that the events of the book are extremely unlikely, but what would you place your money on? Lightsabres or the Zone? I don't mean to bash these franchises, I love conventional sci-fi to bits, but this book has made me rethink the term 'sci-fi' altogether.
Roadside Picnic invites the reader to explore a conceptual world, merely glimpsing through a window at how the authors predict humanity would react to the appearance of the zones. Yes, it doesn't have much of a plot, but that's because it doesn't need one. It could almost be read as a thesis paper, with characters holding different views on the events of the book and conversing with each other about said views.
Roadside Picnic is a truly remarkable piece of Science Fiction that has made me rethink the entire genre, and I implore anyone with a fascination with the unknown or interest in the sciences to read it.
I argue that it shouldn't be any other way.
When you think of science fiction, what do you typically think of? Star Wars, Star Trek, Back to the Future, Metropolis, heck even Dune. What do all of these pieces of media have in common?
They all feature things so improbable that they tiptoe the line between science and fantasy, and most importantly, they are all set in the future.
I would argue that Roadside Picnic is a true science fiction novel. It is set in the present day and features normal people facing the cosmic horror of the unknown. Now yes, you could argue that the events of the book are extremely unlikely, but what would you place your money on? Lightsabres or the Zone? I don't mean to bash these franchises, I love conventional sci-fi to bits, but this book has made me rethink the term 'sci-fi' altogether.
Roadside Picnic invites the reader to explore a conceptual world, merely glimpsing through a window at how the authors predict humanity would react to the appearance of the zones. Yes, it doesn't have much of a plot, but that's because it doesn't need one. It could almost be read as a thesis paper, with characters holding different views on the events of the book and conversing with each other about said views.
Roadside Picnic is a truly remarkable piece of Science Fiction that has made me rethink the entire genre, and I implore anyone with a fascination with the unknown or interest in the sciences to read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Moderate: Death
Minor: Body horror and Sexual content
erikwmj's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Death
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Racism and Sexism
helloits_sam's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Violence, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Ableism and Misogyny
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Medical content, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Violence, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, and War
mlewis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Misogyny, and War
Minor: Pregnancy and Pandemic/Epidemic
kellyofcali's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I started out quite liking this, but as it went on, I sort of fell out of interest - it became a bit too twisty and I had a harder time following the writing over time. The authors seems to purposely obfuscate exactly "what is going on," which I did't mind always - they left space for imagining things which I think are too mysterious to really write - but also sometimes led to sort of boring confusion. Still, an interesting stylistic read in the sci-fi genre, for sure.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Gun violence, Violence, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death and Pregnancy
ashleymg99's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Before I read this book, I had watched Andrei Tarkovsky’s STALKER (which was intriguing, visually delightful, but too slow for me) and my boyfriend is a fan of the games.
This is the cosmic horror novel of the 20th century -Lovecraft stans can fight me. There’s something so sinister about our extreme lack of knowledge about the Zone, and the nightmarish effects it has on the environment and the people in it.
My favorite part of the novel was in the chapter from Noonan’s perspective.Valentine’s Theory of the Roadside Picnic, and the ensuing discussion about the measure of intelligent life was fascinating to me. As I said, there’s something so intriguing and yet disturbing at the idea that these aliens are so far beyond our comprehension, that we are essentially bugs and birds that are examining the mess left by beings we can never hope to understand.
Valentine sees humanity for all its flaws, and in a world where aliens have visited us, he sees the insignificance of us - we are not worth testing, or training or observing. We are simply primitive animals, “using sledgehammers to crack nuts” - picking up alien space junk that we can never hope to understand the true use of, and adapting it for a more primitive purposes.
This is a short read, and overall I was pretty engaged, but there were some slower parts (particularly the beginning of Noonan’s chapter) that struggled to capture my attention.
This is a must read for any sci-fi, cosmic horror, or dystopian fans. Also, watch Tarkovsky’s STALKER - it’s written by the same authors and tells a similar story in the same universe, but is by no means an adaptation.
This is the cosmic horror novel of the 20th century -
My favorite part of the novel was in the chapter from Noonan’s perspective.
Valentine sees humanity for all its flaws, and in a world where aliens have visited us, he sees the insignificance of us - we are not worth testing, or training or observing. We are simply primitive animals, “using sledgehammers to crack nuts” - picking up alien space junk that we can never hope to understand the true use of, and adapting it for a more primitive purposes.
This is a short read, and overall I was pretty engaged, but there were some slower parts (particularly the beginning of Noonan’s chapter) that struggled to capture my attention.
This is a must read for any sci-fi, cosmic horror, or dystopian fans. Also, watch Tarkovsky’s STALKER - it’s written by the same authors and tells a similar story in the same universe, but is by no means an adaptation.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, and Alcohol