Thread 719860197

I just finished reading Picnic on the Roadside, published in 1972, the origin story of the Stalker series.
The descriptions of aliens in it utterly captivated me.
>“Aliens come to Earth to rest. Just like humans, they sit on the grass by the roadside having a picnic.”
>After departing, the aliens left behind a mountain of trash they couldn't care less about, while humans treated this rubbish like treasure.
We're like a swarm of ants or beetles—the aliens couldn't care less about these insects' thoughts, nor did they plan to invade Earth or colonize humanity, because humans are utterly worthless.
For the first time, I realized the relationship between aliens and humans could be interpreted with such profound sadness.
Subsequent Stalker films and games all depict a group of pitiful, impoverished people scavenging for money in the filthy mess left behind after the aliens departed.
Humans are worthless.

>>719860197 (OP)
No different from what is going on in the tech dumps of Africa

>>719860197 (OP)
It's an allegory for the Soviet Union. The mysterious, dangerous Zones represent the opaque Soviet bureaucracy, with its arbitrary rules and unfulfilled promises of utopia. Stalkers, like Redrick, mirror citizens navigating a repressive system for survival, often through moral compromises. The alien artifacts symbolize unattainable ideological goals, while the Zones’ isolation reflects the Soviet Union’s cultural and informational barriers. Written under censorship, the novel subtly critiques the regime’s control and its impact on individuals.

>>719860505
>abolished the soviet union
>12yo now need to suck cock for food
at least we have supermarket & jeans now

>>719860505
I've read the author's afterword; his story satirizes corruption in capitalist countries.
The nation in the book could be Britain or the United States. This is because the story mentions "dollars," and the flag emblem on the helicopter is a "red and blue blend."

>>719860736

When was the afterword written? Was it before or after the collapse of the Soviet Union?

>>719861374
>After the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Because most of the content inside lambasted the censors for extensively altering the manuscript. (A full 18 pages of revision suggestions)
For instance, prohibiting vulgar language, banning all forms of profanity, sexual content, and numerous revisions of indecent terms. Changing "Russians" to "Soviet citizens."
Though the entire narrative satirizes the decadence and corruption of capitalism,
the author and publisher battled for eight years before the book finally secured publication.
This afterword was added after the Soviet Union's collapse—you simply couldn't write criticism of the leadership in 1972.

>>719860197 (OP)
If you enjoyed the Roadside Picnic, I highly recommend The Faraway Rainbow (Дaлeкaя Paдyгa) by the same authors.

>>719863260
Thank you

>>719863260
I liked Hard to Be a God.

>>719863354
Hard to be a God is an interesting read either before or after Beetle in an Anthill. Two completely different takes on advanced civilizations messing with more primitive ones.

>>719863260
>>719863354
For me, it's Monday begins on Saturday

>>719860197 (OP)
Loved the premise but the way it was written made me wanna gouge my eyes out. I read Metro 2033 and it was way more cohesive than Reds incessant ramblings. Maybe I got filtered.

>>719863474
Is that even translated into English?

>>719860505
Now do the same in your own words.

>>719863568
I don't know, I've read it in my native language. It got translated cuz I'm from the ol' former Bloc

>>719863474
I have an acquaintance. He claims that man is only an intermediate link necessary for nature to create the crown of creation: a glass of cognac with a slice of lemon

>>719860736
Was it not explicitly the UK in the book? Maybe I just decided it was for myself. There were 4 sites with 2 lines bisecting the planet between them, no?

>>719863474
I read it not so long ago but it kinda went and go. A good story, kind, warm, but surprisingly bland. Worth the read still.

>>719863514
>Metro 2033
I've read 2035.
It's a good story, but the ending is too sad.
I prefer the story of "Exodus"—the game version is better and more hopeful.

Literally what are you guys talking about? Stalker is based on an old soviet movie about some guys entering a magical zone to find a wish granting artefact. Each of the characters finds what they want in an ironic, monkey's paw sort of way.

>>719863981
Really recommend Metro 2033 at least. I tried reading 34 but it just felt kinda bland. Having nuked the Dark Ones/Homo Novus was also kinda... stupid? 34 was a snorefest to say the least. Maybe 35 is better.

>>719864110
The movie was a very loose adaptation of the book OP is talking about.

>>719864229
Incredibly loose, might I add. It could do with a more modern adaptation. The original movie was incredibly lackluster with the Zones almost magical properties and barely had any effects - other than maybe the birds in the grain house just disappearing. They use the nuts and bolts with a handkerchief but as far as I remember, nothing ever happens...

>>719860613
Good. Should've been capitalists from the get go.

>>719860505
>COMMUNISM BAD BECAUSE... BECAUSE DICTATOR, ХOPOШO?
>CПACИБO ЗA ПИЦЦA ХAT ГOPБOЧEB

The weapon calibers in Stalker 2 don't make any sense.

>45acp is lighter and weaker than 9mm
>9mm makarov is stronger than 9mm luger
>5.56mm is weaker but longer ranged than 5.45mm
>9x39mm is more powerful out of a revolver then a rifle
>RPGs don't instantly gib anything organic

>>719866304
This, but unironically.

>>719866624
>he's surprised at russian bias in a game about literal russia

>>719863693
No to either of those. The book is intentionally non-specific, but the most likely candidate is actually Canada. And the sites are all along one line, because someone points out at one point that the visitation sites almost resemble the pattern a revolver would leave if you were to fire all six shots at a spinning object.

>>719866304
>Communism good brother
>you want buy my son for eat?
>is good and tasty da?

Another thing either Roadside Picnic or STALKER influenced is the black market smuggling operation in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. People who either smuggle stuff out of the Zone or tourists into it started calling themselves Stalkers.

>>719860613
Compared to not having food at all, if your family's crops failed that year, or if the Great Father decided to confiscate all of it for the "better good".
USSR has been a totalitarian hellhole since day 1, with the Moscovians pushing insane propaganda in order to justify their leeching of the common folk and the neighbouring countries.

>>719866790
This isn't really bias, it's just incongruent with reality. It's like when Bethesda made the combat rifle in Fallout 4 shoot 45acp.

>>719864110
The movie is LITERALLY based on the Roadside Picnic book, young nigger.
As was the Metro 2033 book.

>>719860197 (OP)
The real question is why did the aliens land in Russia? There are tons of better places to have picnics at.

>>719868437
Russia is enormous

>>719868437
They landed in Canada though.

>>719866790
>The 1911 does more damage than rifle rounds
>The AK74 is almost unusable after early game
>9×39, a caliber used by Russian special forces is almost useless
>Devs purged as much russian related shit as possible as a kneejerk reaction due to the war, to the great detriment of everything in the game
>Russian bias
???

>>719867637
The book isn't important to Stalker because Stalker was based on the movie. As for Metro 2033, that series doesn't seem to be like Stalker, besides the anomalies and having a slavic setting.

>>719864217
>Maybe 35 is better
2035 is the conclusion of the series.
Without spoiling the plot, the story essentially explores the tragedy of humanity after being subjected to institutionalized living.
It's like spending 30 years in prison, finally being released,
*only to realize you've grown accustomed to prison life and now dread the freedom of a new existence. So much so that you choose to commit another crime just to return behind bars.
The story of 2035 is deeply philosophical and well worth reading. It's just... so incredibly sad.
The game version offers a more hopeful narrative.
Both versions tell compelling stories.

>>719860197 (OP)
What happened to the Russian literature scene? Does it even exist now?

>>719860197 (OP)
>dude but what if...
>aliens are like like humans????

>>719870614
No, same with every other belles lettres scene.

>>719870614
I think it's safe to say that most scenes in russia imploded with the collapse of the soviet union. Science, art, music, etc.

>>719871882
I suspect the Russian government is now reassessing the Soviet Union.
With illusions about the Western world shattered and the war in Ukraine erupting, Russians have come to realize the Soviet era wasn't all that bad.
They've begun revisiting the cultural and artistic legacy of the Soviet period.

>>719872337
Well the reason the scenes imploded was mostly because they were funded by the slave states, or they were based in the slave states. Ukraine and the Stalker games are an example. Russians wish they could take credit for it, and they would have if the union had persisted.

>>719870614
>Does it even exist now?
Yes, read Mikhail Elizarov

>>719872516
>Ukraine and the Stalker games are an example. Russians wish they could take credit for it
Friendly reminder that original language of Stalker game is russian

>>719872337
>I suspect the Russian government is now reassessing the Soviet Union
Nigga, why talk about things you know nothing about? Putin has been running the "Stalin dindu nuffin"-propaganda full throttle for 20 years. History is blatantly rewritten and past atrocities denied to give people at least something to be proud of in the middle of the modern shitstorm. Raising national spirit is the only way to keep their impoverished bandit state from collapsing further.

What did you guys thought of Red?
>Finds supposed wish granting alien thing
>Wishes for happiness for everyone not because he wants everyone to be happy, but because he thinks the world is shit, and somehow granting the well intentioned but naive wish of a kid that got wrecked means like a fuck you to the world

>>719873370
>What did you guys thought of Red?
I don't think he's a bad person, just a pitiable one.
To make money, he keeps risking his life stealing from military restricted zones.
It's basically like those mercenaries going to Ukraine for profit.
Most mercenaries end up dead, getting nothing in return.

>>719860197 (OP)
That's just a proposal of scientist about what happened.
Ultimately, humanity has no clue what exactly happened, and book majorly is about how the "why" is irrelevant. Did aliens just left their trash here? Did they left us a present we can't figure out? Did they have some kind of failure and none of this should have happened? None of this matters, because Zone is here now, and you gotta exploit it if you want to survive. Or rather, you gotta exploit shmucks that think they can exploit the Zone.

>>719866304
>I like sucking cocks, the post

>>719873215
>Putin has been running the "Stalin dindu nuffin"-propaganda full throttle for 20 years.
Ukraine did the same thing, ultimately leading to war with Russia and turning into a cesspool.
Extreme anti-Soviet sentiment eventually morphed into anti-Russian sentiment. If Putin doesn't want the country to disintegrate again, he needs to restart patriotic education.
For example, celebrating victory in World War II and the fight against Nazism.

>>719860197 (OP)
Reminder that there was a book-accurate adaptation of Roadside Picnic that was made as a miniseries in Czechoslovakia.
But it'll never be released because all copies of it were destroyed by censors.
The only thing that remains is behind the scenes photographs.
https://youtu.be/iKRO2lP8YsQ?t=373

>>719874416
You're a fucking retard. Not only because of the rhetoric you peddle, but also because you lack reading comprehension.

>>719874416
>Extreme anti-Soviet sentiment eventually morphed into anti-Russian sentiment. If Putin doesn't want the country to disintegrate again, he needs to restart patriotic education.
>For example, celebrating victory in World War II and the fight against Nazism.

>>719868437
Why do they have to land in america of all places too? They have an entire globe, and yet, if alien contact were to happen and their presence acknowledge by the public, all indication points at them conveniently landing, specifically, in some american location. Odd, isn't? It's like if they were coming from there in the first place...

>>719868437
Niggas just wanted to avoid tourist traps

>>719868437
The book does NOT take place in Russia/
USSR
Main protagonist's name is fucking Redrick Shoeheart and the main location is a town called Harmont.
These are NOT russian names

>>719874250
At least Red does that to provide for his family
Those IRL mercs are just bored dipshits and think that participating in an active war zone is somehow going to be easy (they die within weeks)

>>719863514
What killed Roadside Picnic for me was the ending. Shit honestly just felt unfinished.

>>719860197 (OP)
Kind of sad that this concept is wasted on some jank trash games.
Not that pulp fiction like this is particularly elevated, but it deserved a functioning game at least once.

>>719874416
>For example, celebrating victory in World War II and the fight against Nazism.
They've been celebrating it so hard for 30 years, the entire thing turned into a parody of itself.

>>719876140
>The book does NOT take place in Russia/USSR
I don't know about that bro. The movie had everyone speaking some vodka language.

>>719876140
>Those IRL mercs are just bored dipshits
Yes, those malnourished people from African and South Asian shitholes were bored out of their minds.

>>719874416
>Ukraine did the same thing
No, they didn't. Ukraine (rightfully) shat on soviet union and everything it represents.
>Extreme anti-Soviet sentiment eventually morphed into anti-Russian sentiment
Good. The whole world would improve ten thousandfold it pootin and his bootlickers were hanged. Leaders of Belarus, North Korea, Cuba and China should follow.
>If Putin doesn't want the country to disintegrate again, he needs to restart patriotic education
>For example, celebrating victory in World War II and the fight against Nazism
The "patriotic education" (read: brainwashing) has been a thing here for years, you clueless retard. After russian government started the war, it's gone into overdrive, along with mass censorship.

>>719872337
>Russians have come to realize the Soviet era wasn't all that bad.
Yeah, aside from the famines, gulags, mass executions, and fucked up incidents like the Nazino tragedy. Also if you were a glowy working for the KGB like Putin was I'm sure it was a downright cozy time.

>>719875536
>But it'll never be released because all copies of it were destroyed by censors.
Unfortunately, the same fate befell Metro 2033.
A film adaptation had already entered the planning stages.
However, due to the author's criticism of Putin and opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the film project was canceled.
I've heard the author has fled to Europe.

>>719877336
>the famines, gulags, mass executions, and fucked up incidents like the Nazino tragedy.
You misunderstood what I meant.
What I meant was that Russia isn't reflecting on its mistakes—it's denying its own existence.
It has denied everything about itself to the point of believing capitalism is perfect.
The essence of the Soviet Union's collapse was the failure of reform.
In transitioning from a planned economy to a free market, there was no buffer period.
Ultimately, Russia merely became a poorer oligarchic cesspool than the Soviet Union, reduced to selling resources for survival.
After the Soviet collapse, Russia only grew poorer, while others mocked its foolishness.

>>719877428
The only difference is that the Roadside Picnic miniseries was actually completed and the miniseries was actually broadcasted in Ostrava. But the censors immediately saw it and destroyed all copies. It's entirely possible some local might've recorded in some VHS tapes, but because this isn't a well-known search, we'll probably never find out.
A Metro 2033 film still has a chance of happening, but probably by a different studio. Plus a lot of video game movie adaptations were in the planning stages and just never happened (see: Shadow of the Colossus, Halo, Metal Gear, etc), last I checked I think the Metro 2033 film was in planning stages for a while, so I don't think it would've gone far either way regardless of the politics that happened, unfortunately video game adaptations just rarely get off the ground to begin with.

>>719878191
>video game adaptations just rarely get off the ground to begin with.
The film is actually adapted from the original novel.
However, unless the author apologizes to Putin, the film version is unlikely to be released.

>>719864362
it's kinda ambiguous as to whether there's anything going on at all, the other two guys straight up doubt they need the Stalker and he has to plead with them to listen.
by the end of the film they never actually trigger any of the anomalies they're avoiding.

>>719876710
the book is based in probably-canada
the movie is based in a fictional oppressive shithole
the game is based in ukraine/russia

>>719874416
>to restart patriotic education
Ah yes, die for the oligarchs and government goy, it's a good thing.

>>719876252
not every story needs to be told in 4 500 page books that exhaustively catalogue every single aspect of the setting have numerous arcs.
Its just a small story.

There's this mod for ShoC called Goldsphere that tries to loosely adapt the actual book, it has a lot of weird and esoteric shit in it that makes it interesting, the downside is that it's a slav jank mod and just has some general bullshit designs and bugs. One example is that you having to decipher some map in Garbage just to know which very specific path to take so you don't get one shotted by some black mist that acts as an active radar homing missile kek.

>>719864362
>The original movie was incredibly lackluster
Plebeian midwit opinion.

>>719873215
>Putin has been running the "Stalin dindu nuffin"-propaganda full throttle for 20 years.
Imagine being such a lying faggot like you

>>719877121
>After russian government started the war
Why are you not on a frontline, troonie?

>>719878983
wrong, the environment in the movie was actually incredibly dangerous. Multiple actors got sick and at least one died from the anomalies

>>719882425
>Multiple actors got sick and at least one died from the anomalies
Soviet Nuclear Leak (Not Chernobyl)