Talk:Horror/@comment-24.240.83.20-20150927015012/@comment-24.61.105.143-20151012030013

So, S.T.A.L.K.E.R (the computer game) is based on the Russian movie Stalker directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. Both the game and film are based on the science fiction short story Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. The "Stalkers" that the game and film get their name from are illegal profiteers and guides who trespass on forbidden "zones" to pilfer artifacts to sell on the black market. The "zones" are forbidden because they contain anomalies, which are strange geographic points which defy known physics.

Horror's mutations (Stalker, Anomaly, Meltdown) are definitely a reference to the film/short story, which were Soviet works directly inspired by the (recent at the time) events of Chernobyl. The story and film are incredible, so if you're into dystopian science fiction, they're definitely worth checking out.

Crazy fact: What makes the film horrifying is that it was actually shot in an abandoned Soviet chemical plant, and many of the crew suffered toxic poisoning. Tragically, Tarkovsky and a lead actor died of cancer attributable to their exposure during filming.