A review by inkyteacups
Roadside Picnic by Boris Strugatsky, Arkady Strugatsky

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

 The only thing an alien visit left behind are four deadly zones, littered with new technology but more deadly dangers. Going into them and coming back out alive is nearly impossible. Yet, Stalkers venture out for all kinds of goods on a regular basis. More often than not illegally ... 

"Roadside Picnic" follows such a stalker: Red. It follows him for three of the four chapters, showing how his life and he himself changes. He goes from a reformed Stalker, who stalks legally, to one who turns back to a life to get the goods out for the highest bidder because life has dealt him those cards. The further the story continues, the more disillusioned he becomes. Yet ... maybe a little bit of almost childlike hope remains. 

Furthermore, the story telling is fantastic. It is written in short and crude sentences, never putting a name to any of the emotions. Still you know perfectly what Red feels. The same method is used to describe any visits to The Zone, so your nerves are always on the edge when reading.

I have a full review of "Roadside Picnic" available on the blog, where I discuss writing, characters, and plot in further detail here

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism and Death