This Friday's Book Beginning

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Let's peek into my current vintage SF title, Arkady and Boris Strugatsky's Roadside Picnic:

 AN EXCERPT FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH DR VALENTINE PILLMAN BY A CORRESPONDENT FROM HARMONT RADIO, AFTER THE FORMER RECEIVED THE NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS.

INTERVIEWER: … I suppose that your first important discovery, Dr Pillman, was the celebrated Pillman radiant?

DR. PILLMAN: I wouldn’t say so. The Pillman radiant wasn’t my first discovery, it wasn’t important, and, strictly speaking, it wasn’t a discovery. It’s not entirely mine either.

Roadside Picnic is a great SF novel, originally published in the Soviet Union in 1972.  It has cult status and inspired a movie, the series of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video games, and the slightly foolhardy
Russian pastime of sneaking into abandoned buildings to take pictures.

The story is about Red, an average schmo who works as a stalker--he sneaks into the cordoned-off Zone to retrieve alien artifacts.  The Zone is extremely dangerous, but stuffed full of amazing items that might power your car forever or might kill you instead.   It's a must-read.

Comments

  1. JLS HallJanuary 8, 2016 at 2:56 PM

    Great opening! I love sci-fi, but haven't read much lately. Didn't know about this one before, but I'm adding it to my to-read list. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sandra NachlingerJanuary 8, 2016 at 3:28 PM

    This sounds like a book my husband would enjoy, and I would too, even though I don't read much sci-fi. Thanks for introducing me to it.
    My Friday post features THE TIME IN BETWEEN.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 9, 2016 at 12:47 PM

    I'm liking the sound of this one, and it seems right up my alley too. Have to check this book out.

    Our BB

    ReplyDelete

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