August 2020 Recommended Reading/Viewing

[Coír Draoi Ceítien]

Well, here we are in August. With all that's been going on, it sure has felt different. I mean, it might be the last full month of summer technically, but for those of us trying to keep safe, it probably hasn't felt like much of a summer anyway. I hope next year is better.

Anyway, the recommendations this month are a bit artsy and probably outside of the comfort zones of the average fan, but I think it's worth a shot.

Reading: Roadside Picnic (1972) by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

In the aftermath of a mysterious visitation by unseen aliens, several landing sites throughout the world have been classified into "Zones", where strange phenomena happen. Redrick "Red" Schuhart is a "stalker" - one who makes illegal expeditions into the Zones in order to retrieve special artifacts to sell on the black market - who, upon an ordinary excursion going wrong, finds himself drawn into a lifetime of underground double-dealing in order to provide for his family, which is also tainted by the influence of the Zones. Perhaps the most well-known work outside of their home country by arguably the most popular science fiction authors in the Russian language, this novel, which underwent heavy censorship by Soviet authorities, remains an influential text, having introduced the word stalker into the Russian language and serving as an inspiration for film, video games, and literature; it remained out of print in the United States for nearly thirty years before a brand new translation appeared in 2012 (which is linked to below).

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Roadside-Picnic-Rediscovered-Classics-Strugatsky/dp/1613743416/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1596571857&sr=1-1-791c2399-d602-4248-afbb-8a79de2d236f
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Roadside-Picnic-Rediscovered-Classics-Strugatsky-ebook/dp/B0087GJ5WI/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1596571857&sr=1-1-791c2399-d602-4248-afbb-8a79de2d236f



Viewing: Stalker (Andrei Tartovsky, 1979)

The final film made in his native homeland by one of the world's most respected film directors, Stalker is a loose adaptation of the Strugatsky brothers' Roadside Picnic (featuring a screenplay which they themselves wrote), only more abstract and philosophical, featuring long, quiet takes and surreal imagery. Three unidentified men - referred to only as the "Stalker", the "Writer", and the "Professor" - breach the security of the highly fortified, mysterious Zone in search of a strange artifact - a room said to grant the secret desires of whoever enters it; each man has his own reasons for seeking out the Room, which are gradually revealed throughout the film. While quite slow and cerebral compared to both the book and other films at the time, it has since transcended its initial mixed reception to be one of Tartakovsky's most acclaimed works and may probably reward dedicated viewings.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Stalker-Feature-Alisa-Freyndlikh/dp/B071YCQJRD/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1596571910&sr=8-2
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Stalker-Feature-Blu-ray-Alisa-Freyndlikh/dp/B06ZY641YQ/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1596571910&sr=8-2
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Stalker-English-Subtitled-Alisa-Freindlikh/dp/B073X5Z5HX/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1596571910&sr=8-2

That's all I got for now. I hope I haven't recommended anything too off-putting or unenjoyable. See you next month!