This novel is set some time after an unexplained visitation by unknown aliens that left six zones scattered across the Earth, each one changed in bizarre ways. They are compared to the aftermath of a rowdy picnic by a road, leaving bits of rubbish and discarded items behind to the bafflement of the ants that live there. The zones have been quarantined and cautiously studied by scientists who are no closer to understanding the exotic technologies that are to be found in the zones than the mercenary stalkers who raid the zones for profit.
One such stalker is Rodrick “Red” Shuhart, now working as an advisor for the Institute studying the zone that used to be his home town before it was transformed. He is tempted back into taking on one last stalking mission that goes horribly wrong when his companion stumbles into one of the many gruesome traps that litter the zone.
The novel was originally written in Russian as a veiled critique of the Soviet government and this translation restores some of the material that was censored on its original publication. It is both a cracking adventure story and an intriguing bit of sci-fi as the miracles of the alien technology are explored (but never fully explained).
The book has inspired a film by Andrei Tarkovsky, a series of video games and a table top role playing game. The idea of exploring a dangerous landscape for rich rewards is an evocative one that has an immediate appeal to gamers. I enjoyed this immensely and the ambiguous ending really made me wonder what would happen if we encountered such unimaginably advanced technology.
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