Redrick Schuhart

Roadside Picnic
(Part of the Roadside Picnic Universe)

**Redrick Schuhart**, aka **Red**, is the main protagonist of the Roadside Picnic novel.

Red was a Zone researcher who formerly worked at the International Institute of Extraterrestrial Cultures before deserting the organisation for good after Kirill Panov's death (RP: Section 1). He is eventually shown to be a stalker at night who often breaks the United Nations' laws regarding the Zone in his quest of extraterrestrial artefacts in the Zone to sell in order to support his struggling family, which includes his wife Guta and his mutant daughter Monkey.

## Biography

Redrick Schuhart is a Stalker, a highly skilled and daring individual who illegally enters the mysterious and dangerous Zone, an area contaminated by extraterrestrial artifacts and phenomena. The Zone was created by the Visitation, an unexplained event where aliens briefly visited Earth and left behind artifacts that defy human understanding.

Schuhart resides in Harmont, a town near the Zone, and supports himself and his family by scavenging valuable artifacts from the Zone and selling them on the black market. Stalkers like Schuhart risk their lives entering the Zone, as it is filled with deadly traps, anomalies, and unpredictable phenomena.

Throughout the novel, Redrick's character is developed through his interactions with other Stalkers, his family, and his own internal struggles. He is portrayed as a complex individual with a strong survival instinct, a sense of adventure, and a conflicted moral compass.

As the story progresses, Schuhart becomes increasingly obsessed with the Golden Sphere, a legendary and highly sought-after artifact rumored to grant the wishes of anyone who possesses it. This obsession leads him to undertake perilous journeys into the heart of the Zone, facing physical and psychological challenges.

## Characterization

### Appearance

Redrick Schuhart is depicted as a rugged and resourceful individual, embodying both the allure and dangers of the Stalker profession. He is described as being in his thirties, with a muscular build and a weathered appearance. Schuhart's experiences as a Stalker have made him cynical and jaded, yet he retains a certain charm and wit.

### Personality

Schuhart's relationships with other characters in the novel reveal different facets of his personality. His interactions with his daughter, Monkey, demonstrate his capacity for love and protectiveness. Meanwhile, his encounters with his ex-wife, Guta, and other Stalkers reveal the harsh realities and moral ambiguity of the Zone.

The authors use Schuhart's character to explore philosophical questions about the nature of humanity and its place in the universe. Redrick's experiences in the Zone challenge his beliefs and force him to confront the limitations of human knowledge and the fragility of human existence.

## Legacy

Redrick Schuhart's character has had a lasting impact on the science fiction genre. His role as a Stalker in *Roadside Picnic* has influenced numerous works of fiction, including video games, films, and other novels. The novel itself has been adapted into several films, most notably Andrei Tarkovsky's *Stalker* (1979).

Schuhart's struggles and inner conflicts resonate with readers, as they grapple with themes of human curiosity, the dangers of ambition, and the search for meaning in a world where humanity is dwarfed by mysterious and seemingly indifferent alien forces.