Roadside Picnic
Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatskyby Аркадий Стругацкий and Борис Стругацкий and Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
Hacker ApprovedShares rank 40 of 179 science fiction novels by recommenders
People recommend it as a masterpiece of haunting, excellent science fiction. Some find it depressing, and one critic calls the central concept only ok.
People recommend it as a masterpiece of haunting, excellent science fiction. Some find it depressing, and one critic calls the central concept only ok.
15 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 13
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 87%
Recommended in 8 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 13 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 6.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 8 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Called a masterpiece
“Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky is also a masterpiece.”
Comment from 9 Mar 2026 in “Rendezvous with Rama” “In my opinion, Roadside Picnic is a masterpiece”
Comment from 4 Jun 2026 in “A Man Who Reads Books for a Living (One Every Two Days)” Excellent science fiction
“easily the best sci-fi I have read this year”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” “Roadside Picnic which was extremely good”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Only an ok concept
“The novel is an ok sci-fi concept”
Comment from 4 Jun 2026 in “A Man Who Reads Books for a Living (One Every Two Days)”
Other science fiction novels people recommend
The four most recommended other science fiction novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Hail Maryby Andy Weir | 117 | 24 | 83% | 12 | — | Approved |
| There Is No Antimemetics Divisionby qntm | 98 | 34 | 74% | 9 | 1.5 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| Blindsightby Peter Watts | 96 | 27 | 78% | 12 | — | Approved |
| Duneby Frank Herbert | 82 | 25 | 77% | 12 | — | Approved |
| Roadside Picnicby Аркадий Стругацкий and Борис Стругацкий and Arkady and Boris StrugatskyThis page | 13 | 2 | 87% | 8 | — | Approved |
What people said
14 of the 17 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I'm scarred by being forced to read meandering classics from a very young age”
“I really like the book though, even being as depressing as it is.”
“I wasn't a big fan of the book, tbh.”
“easily the best sci-fi I have read this year”
“Roadside Picnic which was extremely good”
“But I just added this to it.”
“I recommend the book Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky.”
“They didn't try to create us, they don't care that we're here, and, ultimately, we will never be able to know them in any meaningful sense.”
“In my opinion, Roadside Picnic is a masterpiece”
“The novel is an ok sci-fi concept”
“The description of the (aftermath of the) picnic in the novel was absolutely beautifully haunting”
“this version has an afterward by author Boris Strugatsky which is quite entertaining”
“Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky is also a masterpiece.”
“Roadside Picnic I believe would also fall into this category.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.