Борис Стругацкий, Boris Natanovich Strugat︠s︡kiĭ, Arkady and Boris Strugatsky: Piknik na robu ceste (Paperback, Slovenian language, LUD Literatura)
A troubled man leads a writer and a scientist into "The Zone", a mysterious area where the laws of physics no longer apply. All three journey towards "The Room", which supposedly has the power to fulfill the innermost wishes of anyone who enters therein.
Treanslated to Slovene by Drago Bajt.
Livre broché, 251 pages
Langue : Slovenian
Publié par LUD Literatura.
An enjoyable read, kinda nihilistic book but I'd say it's a positive nihilism that I can get behind. Bunch of weird sci-fi ideas that were really intriguing and it differs a lot from the movie (Stalker) and the games (S.T.A.L.K.E.R.) which was good even though the three are a real triangle of greatness. Recommend for those who like aliens, alcoholics, body horror, and futility.
This one was okay, a lot of descriptions of smoking and drinking, and in a way looking down at the working class people in a way showing them off as crass, chainsmoking alcoholics most of the time, sure I think what was meant is that this is what they are forced to under a capitalistic system which is kind of falling apart from being so close to the Zones. The ending was also a bit abrupt and vague, but okay, and most of the characters were just assholes to each other.
This is a second Slovenian translation of Roadside Picnic and this time we got uncensored version of the book translated by the same translator. It has a very informative foreword which speaks about the fight that brothers Strugacky with the Soviet Union state bureaucracy to get this work published. What is really interested is that the censors in the end took out the bad language in the swear words. Roadside picnic is, according to the foreword, one of the few books that won the battle against censorship. The book is apolitical with slight anti-capitalist subtone so it is hard to imagine why it was not approved by the censors in the first place.
Regarding the book itself it is very gripping sci-fi thriller that questions what is humanity. It is almost at the top of my suggestion list.
If I had to pick one word to describe Roadside Picnic, it would be clever. All about this book feels rascalous, chaotic, full of energy and vitality. I think the main theme here is how people and culture can adapt to almost anything. No matter how bleak, odd or desperate the situation, the spark of life can be found in the most unexpected of places and that's something I'd gladly take to my heart from this book, especially in these trying times.
