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merv_d's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
speir's review against another edition
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: Fire/Fire injury and Cursing
Moderate: Sexism, Alcohol, Body horror, and Alcoholism
Minor: Pregnancy, Death, and Child abuse
angelveins's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
heleli's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
pklawton's review against another edition
5.0
In the afterword by Boris Strugatsky, he recounts the challenging process of navigating Soviet censorship to publish “Roadside Picnic” He reveals:
“It never occurred to us that the problem wasn’t about ideology. Those quintessential 'bloody fools' believed that language should be colorless, smooth, and glossy, devoid of any coarseness. They insisted that science fiction should be purely fantastical, completely detached from the harsh, tangible realities of life. They believed that readers should be shielded from reality, allowed to dwell in daydreams, reveries, and ethereal ideas.”
Roadside Picnic strikes a powerful chord precisely because it embraces the “harsh, tangible realities.” The vivid scenes where the Stalker we follow throughout the book, Redrick Schubert, navigates the Zone with Arthur, known as the “talking key,” in the final chapter, are a masterful culmination of the intense world-building throughout the novel.
A truly remarkable work, this is the kind of science fiction that resonates with me. Absolutely devoured this one!
“It never occurred to us that the problem wasn’t about ideology. Those quintessential 'bloody fools' believed that language should be colorless, smooth, and glossy, devoid of any coarseness. They insisted that science fiction should be purely fantastical, completely detached from the harsh, tangible realities of life. They believed that readers should be shielded from reality, allowed to dwell in daydreams, reveries, and ethereal ideas.”
Roadside Picnic strikes a powerful chord precisely because it embraces the “harsh, tangible realities.” The vivid scenes where the Stalker we follow throughout the book, Redrick Schubert, navigates the Zone with Arthur, known as the “talking key,” in the final chapter, are a masterful culmination of the intense world-building throughout the novel.
A truly remarkable work, this is the kind of science fiction that resonates with me. Absolutely devoured this one!
gossamerwingedgazelle's review against another edition
4.0
While it wasn't quite as fantastic as I had hoped for, it was still quite good.
jackrb's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-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? Yes
3.5
The setup of aliens visiting Earth temporarily, not acknowledging humanity's existence and leaving behind numerous 'junk' artefacts for humanity to deal with is certainly an evocative setup.
And its explored in a down-to-earth manner, told mainly from the point of view of Redrick, a stalker struggling to get by, his life entirely dependent on the 'Zone' and the aftermath of these alien artefacts appearing, in a few discrete and distinct times of his life - with just one chapter focused more on the scientific aspect, where we get some nice philosophical discussion and musings around the aliens and human intelligence, and produces both the best parts of the book and the "Roadside Picnic" analogy that titles the book. Very much focused on building an atmosphere rather than the most concrete of plots, but this reads as a deliberate authorial choice.
Its also quite a quick read given each chapter is relatively self-contained, which can make it feel quite disjointed, but allows the passage of time to kick in without much downtime, and allows it to develop some of the more weird and sinister afflictions the Zone curses upon this town of Harmont.
A worthwhile read, and while it ends rather abruptly, the strands of hope imbued within the characters despite the utter melancholy and negativity of what little of the world is presented to us sticks with you, alongside the more philosophical rumination of human intelligence.
And its explored in a down-to-earth manner, told mainly from the point of view of Redrick, a stalker struggling to get by, his life entirely dependent on the 'Zone' and the aftermath of these alien artefacts appearing, in a few discrete and distinct times of his life - with just one chapter focused more on the scientific aspect, where we get some nice philosophical discussion and musings around the aliens and human intelligence, and produces both the best parts of the book and the "Roadside Picnic" analogy that titles the book. Very much focused on building an atmosphere rather than the most concrete of plots, but this reads as a deliberate authorial choice.
Its also quite a quick read given each chapter is relatively self-contained, which can make it feel quite disjointed, but allows the passage of time to kick in without much downtime, and allows it to develop some of the more weird and sinister afflictions the Zone curses upon this town of Harmont.
A worthwhile read, and while it ends rather abruptly, the strands of hope imbued within the characters despite the utter melancholy and negativity of what little of the world is presented to us sticks with you, alongside the more philosophical rumination of human intelligence.