The book is a short, intense ride through an incredibly well-realised sci-fi world. Even after getting married, having a child and a brief spell in prison, Red always returns because The Zone and its mysteries are more exciting than the real world. He also acknowledges an addiction to The Zone he could quit and get a normal job, but the thrill of the place always lures him back. Red operates in the Canada Zone, and where most of his kind eventually meet a gruesome end, he always makes it back in one piece. Roadside Picnic takes place over an eight year period, following the fortunes of Red Schuhart, one of the most experienced (aka lucky) Stalkers. Governments across the globe seal these zones off, but since the artefacts are of high value, a culture of thieves – dubbed ‘Stalkers’ – sneak in to acquire and sell them on the black market. The world quickly learned these zones are incredibly dangerous, where the laws of physics break down and otherworldly traps are everywhere. These unseen travellers made no contact with mankind and left each site strewn with bizarre, sometimes hazardous artefacts. Published in 1971, Roadside Picnic is set in the aftermath of The Visitation, an event where aliens landed at different spots around the world.
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