Itchers, death lamps, rattling napkins, Witches' jelly, exploding rainbows and the Golden Sphere are a few of the prizes that await those brave enough to risk the Visitation Zone in Boris and Arkady Strugatsky's Roadside Picnic.
An incredible tale. For two days aliens visited 6 small zones on the face of the planet earth. Then they left. No one saw them. No one understands why they came. All we know is they left behind a lot of potentially dangerous, potentially awesome stuff and we've got to have it.
People's lives, their bodies, and human culture as a whole are changed irreversibly by this alien visit. Instead of hope for a better future, augmented by these incredible new technologies, it appears most of the characters we meet are lost, struggling to understand their place in a universe where humanity may be nothing more than ants carrying away the crumbs of an alien roadside picnic.
This is a fantastic book. One of my favorite recommendations of the year, and I'm thrilled to share it with you!
Roadside Picnic by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky
Thanks, Mouse Reeve!