STALKER 2 Novel and Movie Inspiration Explained

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The post-apocalyptic genre has become increasingly popular over the past few decades, but its origins can be traced back to the early 1800s when Mary Shelley The Last Man is widely regarded as the first mainstream post-apocalyptic novel. Post-apocalyptic settings are also nothing new to the 1988 gaming world Wasteland as the Commodore 64 is one of the first reputable entries in the genre. Now, STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl joins this ever-growing list.




STALKER 2: Heart of ChernobylPost-apocalypse separates itself nicely from the crowd by creating a historical backdrop, the story and setting of which revolves around the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. But STALKERThe setting is not entirely original. Like everyone for a long time STALKER fan will know that the GSC Game World series was heavily inspired by two very important works of Soviet Russian media.

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STALKER's two main sources of inspiration explained

Explanation of the novel by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky “Picnic by the road”.

First published in 1972, Roadside picnic is a science fiction novel written by Soviet writers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. IN Roadside picnicthe world has recently been visited by aliens. This “visitation” took place in six small locations around the world that are now known as “visitation zones”. Although no one has seen these aliens, their arrival or departure, they have left behind a number of mysterious artifacts that have interesting physical properties.


The novel's title refers to an analogy in the book in which the alien visit is likened to a family picnic by the roadside, although instead of leaving behind food wrappers and the remains of a small fire, they have left behind artifacts that hold extraterrestrial forces on Earth. Any group of scavengers looking for these powerful artifacts are called “stalkers”. Naturally, the setting and premise share many similarities STALKER.

An explanation of Andrei Tarkovsky's film “Stalker”.

In 1979, Soviet director Andrei Tarkovsky released a film on which it was loosely based Roadside picnic he called Stalker. He wrote the script Roadside picnicthe Strugat brothers, Stalker follows the titular, unnamed character as he leads a writer and professor through a danger zone filled with strange anomalies and dangers in search of a rumored room that fulfills man's deepest desires.


The 1979 film adaptation retains much of the same theme as its novel counterpart, with lofty philosophical themes regarding true desires and the sacrifices one would make for them central to the main story. Much like Roadside picnic, Stalker it features plenty of supernatural phenomena, including anomalies that defy the laws of physics and seemingly alien artifacts.

Roadside picnic and Stalkerinfluences on STALKER game franchises are obvious and plentiful. Along with a practical adaptation of the novel and a direct adaptation of the film zone, STALKER he also directly borrows his name, though giving it a unique acronym (Scavenger, Trespasser, Adventurer, Loner, Killer, Explorer, and Robber).

Much of the 2007 original STALKER: Shadow of ChernobylThe plot is also heavily inspired Stalkerthe ending of which sees the player discover a Monolith in the center of the zone that can grant wishes, albeit at a cost. The STALKER the franchise has also dealt with similar philosophical themes over the years, with the games asking some interesting questions about humanity and what it sacrifices for fame and glory, along with exploring the influence of the Soviet Union on Eastern Europe and many other concepts.


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