I'm currently reading a great Russian sci-fi novel "Roadside Picnic" (Пикник на обочине ) by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky.

The book tells about the Zones - places of Alien landing, abandoned by humans - very dangerous places, in which are found artifacts of Alien technology. Those artifacts - which do not obey to known physical laws - are very valuable. There are people known as "stalkers", who risk their laws in illegal expeditions to get those artifacts. The novel tells about one of the best stalkers - Red Shoehart.

The novel is absolutely fantastic. It's only bad side is, that it is pretty short However, it's one of the greatest sci-fi novels, next to Frank Herbert's "Dune", Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" series, Philip K. Dick's novels (really can't pick the best of those - one of the best known is "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?") and Stanislaw Lem's novels (like in Dick's - can't choose the best - one of the best known is "Solaris").

"Roadside Picnic" has been inspiration for "Stalker" movie by Andrei Tarkovsky (loose adaptation, I'd wish to see it), "S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl" game (the novel was an inspiration to the authors of this game) and up-coming "Roadside Picnic" movie (directed by David Jacobson, announced to 2008).