The Hollow Pilgrim: A Stalker RPG Novel: New Roadside Picnic #1

Ville Vuorela

Oct 2014 · Finn Lectura

About this ebook

If you come back with swag – it’s a Miracle

If you come back alive – it’s a Success

If the patrol bullets miss you – it’s Luck

And as for everything else – that’s Fate

Zones are areas where the laws of nature have gone insane and life has either perished or become twisted beyond recognition. They were to be cut off from the world, lost and forgotten behind walls and fences. Criminals called stalkers explore the Zones in search of artefacts; small fragments of alien culture and technology that defy our understanding of reality.

Jacob Moncke was there on Day One. Thirteen years later events conspire to draw him back as he becomes tangled in a web of conspiracy and murder.

The Hollow Pilgrim follows in the footsteps of Roadside Picnic, the legendary scifi-classic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. With approval and a license from Boris Strugatsky (1933–2012), it brings the setting of Roadside Picnic to the modern era, while staying true to the original work in themes and atmosphere.

“Ville Vuorela tells a gripping noir tale in the broken world of the Strugatskys’ Roadside Picnic, where no one is what they seem and happy endings are hard to come by. I really enjoyed it!” – Hannu Rajaniemi

Ratings and reviews

Good characterisation, terse writing style, interesting depiction of Zone France. Recommended reading for sci-fi (particularly Stalker) fans.

A word of caution: Roadside Picnic loosely formed the basis of the STALKER game series, whereas this book is much more intimately tied to the game's universe. In conjunction, as a modern piece of literature, it feels more visceral and connected to the present - the trade-off being one of timelessness. That said, if you enjoyed the games, you will likely appreciate this book.

It is no small feat to add to the official zone lore of Roadside Picnic. Hollow Pilgrim is a brave successor because it doesn't seek to replicate RP. It takes the core essence of the visitation, what it implies and how it impacts the political landscape of Europe and runs with it. The grey legal boundaries of the zone and the vulnerable populations of refugees and mutants that filter through the borders are a striking analogy for the human tide of refugees and displaced people transiting Europe today.