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Roadside Picnic

Arkady Strugatsky

Start date: July 1, 2015

Finish date: July 30, 2015

Discussion: Book Discussions

Discussion leader: Andreas

Why we're reading this: Group Classic Novel discussion topic July 2015
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What Members Thought

Jun 19, 2012 Lamora rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

Roadside Picnic is not your usual science fiction. Most first contact stories are founded on the fundamental assumption that aliens will find the human race worthy of their attention and interesting enough to engage with—even when the first contact being militaristic in nature, we know at least we are worth having resources wasted on us. But maybe what if they just came, stopped for a picnic, and moved on, leaving behind their equivalent to our plastic wrappers, used batteries, monkey wrenches a ...more

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Apr 18, 2024 James rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-club

Strong stuff from the Strugatskys, a novel rich in imagination, portraying earth as nothing more than a litter-strewn waypoint for unknowable aliens. This idea of humanity as a ignorant race involved in cargo cult-like behaviour with alien tech has captivated me before, but as this was written in the early 1970s credit must go to the originality of it here.

It certainly has a Russian edge: harsh, uncompromising men who despise weakness and yet struggle with their inner humanity, set against these ...more

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Jun 20, 2023 GONZA rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: posseduto, otherland

The initial idea from which the whole plot develops was great, too bad I liked the unfolding less. I probably have to come to terms with the idea that I like current science fiction much better than past science fiction, although some of the books I didn't like are acknowledged classics urbis et orbis.

L'idea iniziale da cui si sviluppa tutta la trama era fantastica, peccato che lo svolgimento mi é piaciuto di meno. Probabilmente devo scendere a patti con l'idea che la fantascienza attuale mi pia ...more

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Jun 24, 2015 Anne Marie rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This was a very interesting, albeit strange book. I would say that I did enjoy it, although the characters were not at all relate-able. There were some very interesting and engaging passages that really stuck with me. Foremost was the discussion between Valentine Pillman and Richard Noonan on defining intelligence:

"We usually proceed from a trivial definition: intelligence is the attribute of man that separates his activity from that of animals. It's a kind of attempt to distinguish the master ...more

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May 09, 2012 Mary rated it really liked it

Shelves: have-ebook, read-since-joining-goodreads

Almost had to read this just for the great title. This is a new translation of a classic novella by two Russian brothers. I compare this favorably with the another Russian sci-fi I've read recently, Metro 2033. Like that book, even with what is probably an excellent translation, the writing seemed a bit stilted. It took a little getting used to but it didn't really take away from the story. And it was an unique story. It tells the struggle of the people of the fictional town of Harmont, one of s Almost had to read this just for the great title. This is a new translation of a classic novella by two Russian brothers. I compare this favorably with the another Russian sci-fi I've read recently, Metro 2033. Like that book, even with what is probably an excellent translation, the writing seemed a bit stilted. It took a little getting used to but it didn't really take away from the story. And it was an unique story. It tells the struggle of the people of the fictional town of Harmont, one of six "Zones" or landing sites of a brief alien visitation some 20 years earlier. The Zones are blocked off by the government and the numerous items that the aliens left behind have been slowly carried out and studied. Although some of these items have proven useful, like the endless power supply of what they call the spacecell, the uses of these items mostly remains a puzzle or a novelty. And the government's institute employees aren't the only ones searching for these items, there are also the "stalkers" who go into the Zone illegally at great risk to their lives to bring out the "swag" to sell to others who will pay much more than the institute. The Zone is dangerous and deadly, like a U.S. Superfund zone or Russia's Chernobyl site, full of traps and slime and things you can't even see that will kill you in a second. And, the Zone itself seems to slowly mutant the people who go in it and even their offspring. Only the bravest, most cunning, most desperate of men survive for long and, like with Metro 2033, this story had great characters, especially the main character stalker Red Schuhart, who is wrestling with the whole corrupt system, trying to keep true to himself, to be his own man, not owned by anyone or anything, and who then has to deal with the consequences of this to his family and friends.

Also like Metro 2033 the book contains a great philosophical discourse on the meaning of life, our existence, etc. In Metro it was the hookah-smoking former soviet soldiers. In Roadside Picnic, it was a drunken conversation between Dr. Valentine Pitman, a scientist at the Zone institute with another institute employee Richard Noonan about the meaning of the alien visitation. Was the visit and all the items left behind a sign or a test from some alien race to see if we were advanced enough for a full-fledged visit? Was it a prelude to a full-on invasion? Or was it as Valentine suggests (and where the title of the book came from) just a random stop over by some alien travelers, a roadside picnic on their way somewhere else. This drunken conversation contained what was perhaps the most interesting passage of the book: (view spoiler)

This book was very enjoyable and it did make me think a little about the universe and humankind's place and purpose in it. I am sure this book had some deep metaphorical meaning or connection to Russian politics that I didn't get and may never get but maybe something seeped in somewhere anyway and I have determined that I definitely need to read more Russian sci-fi. ...more

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