Roadside Picnic

“The fact of the Visit is not only the most important discovery of the last thirteen years, it’s the most important discovery in human history. It doesn’t matter where they came from, why they came, why they left so quickly, or where they’ve vanished to since. What matters is that we now know for sure: humanity is not alone in the universe. I’m afraid the Institute of Extraterrestrial Cultures could never make a more fundamental discovery.” 

This quote from Dr. Valentine Pillman very neatly encapsulates what makes Roadside Picnic such a unique work in the science fiction canon. Contrary to most other books and films involving extraterrestrial visitations, these aliens have no interest in either conquering or communicating with humanity. And to expect anything more from these aliens, Valentine suggests, is a form of hubris.

“No, friends, it’s hard to describe this thing if you haven’t seen one. It looks much too simple, especially when you finally convince yourself that your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. It’s like describing a glass to someone or, God forbid, a wineglass: you just wiggle your fingers in the air and curse in utter frustration.” 

Here, the authors capture just how foreign and strange these extraterrestrial artifacts are, despite their simplicity. The description suggests a culture that, owing to the aliens’ physiology or environment, is totally removed from anything humans would recognize.

“Although, to be fair, the Zone doesn’t give a damn who the good guys and the bad guys are, and it turns out we gotta thank you, Slug: you were an idiot, and no one even remembers your real name, but you did show us smarter folks were not to go.” 

Just as the aliens don’t care about humanity, the Zone they left in their wake doesn’t care either. Moreover, if the Zone is a metaphor for the capitalist West, this line underscores the inhumanity of such systems, wherein the most goodhearted or moral people become victims sacrificed in the service of the most fortunate.