Roadside Picnic
One of the best books I have read this year.
Roadside Picnic raises the question of how humanity will react when encountered by something vastly beyond its ability to understand. What happens when aliens arrive on earth spend some time in the Zone they inhabit and leave? Without bothering to interact with earth's most intelligent creatures? The analogy is that the alien stopped at earth much like we do at a roadside picnic. Much like humans leave behind our belongings and leftovers to the marvel of the ants.
Although the questions raised by the book seem grand in nature, what I really loved about the book is how grounded the story is. What happens when humanity is encountered by something vastly beyond its ability to understand? The scientists try to understand it, the government tries to control it, the business try to profit out of it and the ordinary people try to survive it. The protagonist, Red Schuhart, is a small-town stalker (a person that sneaks into the Zone to smuggle out alien artefacts to sell) who is trying to provide for his wife and his mutant daughter, and trying to avoid getting caught by cops and other institutes. The entire vibe of the book feels like a Neo Noir movie.
I feel that this is the kind of story I was hoping to read when I has picked up William Gibson's Sprawl series and ended being disappointed by it. Funnily enough this book was a recommendation by the owner of the local bookstore where I buy books from. And, I loved it!