S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Captives of the Zone

by Artur Frank

A Swedish tourist named Max Cotten vanishes without a trace during the European Football Championship in Kiev. A friend receives his notes contained in a package. Max is alive for now, but will he be for long? Involuntarily, he is in the most dangerous place on Earth — the Zone. Is there a way to freedom amid a man-hunt? Will Max want to leave the Zone or will he risk it all and stay to search for an answer to a lingering question?

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction

117 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 29, 2012

Reviews

[J.T. Kalnay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start this review by stating that I am a computer geek and a gamer. Thus, I was predisposed to like this book because it's closely tied to the premise and back story for a video game. If you don't like video games and zombies and mutants, you will likely have a different opinion than I did. Having provided that disclaimer...

Swedish tourist Max Cotton didn't want to enter the zone (the most dangerous place on earth). But since he's there, he has to decide whether to risk everything in an attempt to resolve an old mystery. He reaches out to his friend Artur (who is still back in "the world"), by sending him a mysterious letter and package.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Captives of the Zone is translated from either Russian or German (I think). The English reader may find one or two rough spots. However, these troubles are nothing compared to the danger filled anomalies that threaten stalkers. If you like mutants and zombies that are hungry for human flesh, then you'll like this cleverly illustrated and cleverly formatted book. The book is formatted as though Artur has scanned and posted his captured friend's notes on the Internet. The story is intended for afficianados of a particular video game set near the Chernobyl disaster site. But even if you don't play the game, you'll still enjoy the story. After reading the book, now I'm going to try out the game! Just remember, "the only way to leave the Zone is to find a replacement."

[Lisa Potocar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't usually read graphic, apocalyptic, adventure novels, but I'm glad I did. This story helped to open my eyes to a whole new entertaining genre. This story grabbed me from the start, and it was uniquely entertaining how the author skillfully used, as another reviewer wrote, "diaries, letters and pictures to put the reader right in the middle of the action." The illustrations were great and made us feel a part of the world within the Zone. I look forward to reading more in this series. Kudos to the author, Artur Frank, for an excellent start.

[Yannis Karatsioris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't played the video game, so I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I opened this book.
Author Artur Frank has a way with atmosphere. And not only with the colorful but ominous images he used inbetween the text, but also with the words he put together to build up the necessary suspense.

A man has gone missing, and he contacts through a letter only one of his friends... This is how it all begins, and the missing's man friend has to figure it all out, taking it one step at a time.

Mystery, suspense, quality graphic content. Mr Artur Frank has it all in his story.

[Scott Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, but it almost felt like reading a prologue and not the actual book. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a very quick read and you only get the smallest taste of a storyline, but what is there has great potential. I'll watch it to see where this goes, but the books are going to have to get longer if I'm going to commit to this series. I'm not interested in getting involved in a 32 part mini-series.

[Lisa Goldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normally, I wouldn't read a graphic novel but I like paranormal and horror books and bought this book a day when it was free. I thought the story was well written with only a few, very minor, flaws. The story was engaging, where I was eager to read more even when it ended. I found the pictures and diary style with different fonts refreshing. Would I recommend this book to others? Yes, and when my teenager son is looking for another book, I plan on sharing this one with him.

[J.C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

though i had never played the computer game, i thought the story here was captivating and an interesting start to hopefully an exciting book series. it is well written, with very few (if any) errors.

[William Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Captives of the Zone

My Review

Disclaimer: I was given this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I am not a big gamer, so I am unfamiliar with the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games and other books. Given that, and given that I am not usually a fan of graphic novels, I was unsure what to expect when I started reading this book. Surprisingly, the book was very well written and drew me right into the story. The story is bare-boned and characters are enigmatic by design. With a few illustrations and a narrative that reflects the idea that the novel is a diary written by a captive of the Zone, I found myself immersed in the story.

I won’t give away any of the story, but I would recommend reading this whether you play the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games or not. It is a quick read and will leave you wondering what happens next and maybe entice you to play the games! 4 Stars!!

[Steven Matuska · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a stalker fan it's definitely a worth while read

The book is a short read but it's a great read, it shed so much more light on the stalker lore than I knew. I'm a fan of all three games and was very impressed at the plot of the story, if you're a stalker fan it's worth read for sure. The plot is explained well enough that even someone not familiar with the games can pick it up and enjoy it.

[James Mcclung]

This book was really good it started out fairly slow but it sped up really fast. By the end it was one thing after the next but there was still a lot of suspense in the story. i personally loved the book i hope to read the full book later. This was the first book have read by this author but i will be sure to read more by them. If you are a gamer or a sci-fi lover i would highly recommend this book for you.

[Anthea Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The story was compelling and intriguing and kept me turning the page, wanting to find out more about Chernobyl and what had happened. The drawings are amazing; haunting, beautiful and unique. I am hooked on this story and plan to read the next in the series. I am not a gamer, and knew nothing about the video game and loved it! I highly recommend this fantastic book!

[Joe Yellin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not sure, but I believe I read a preview of the book. It ended rather abruptly. The story was mildly interesting and felt like it was aimed at pre-teens who are gamers forced to read books for school book reports. I think the author's writing leaves a lot to be desired, however, I've read worse stories and prose from other authors.

[Ryan McArthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I was hoping for something more "Roadside Picnic" than this, which felt very much like the novelisation of a game play-through for me.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting graphic novel. The story takes place in an unseen "zone" outside of chernobyl. Full of monsters and hunters. All and all a very quick read and not a bad story.

[Dan Parden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi

I'm fascinated with Chernobyl, I love reading stories about what happened there. This follows the game pretty good. I recommend