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Girl And Her Robot Travel Through Wastelands In Alternate 90s USA In Chilling Illustrations
Picture the USA in late 1997, but with less boy bands and more post-apocalyptic desolation. That's exactly how Simon Stålenhag envisioned The Electric State, his upcoming latest installment to an impressive streak of successful artbooks, and we're completely lost in how fascinating it turned out.
The artist and author, who hails from Stockholm, Sweden, bases The Electric State on "a runaway teenager and her yellow toy robot," an unlikely pair that travels the West Coast in the aftermath of a massive technological meltdown, which has apparently resulted in brutal warfare between monstrous 'battle drones' and sheepish humans controlled by individual Virtual Reality helmets. It's a dark, confronting saga, and one Stålenhag vividly illustrates to the point that it looks terrifyingly real. His attention to detail mirrors that of his previous efforts, Tales From the Loop and Things From the Flood, while exploring similarly morose themes.
The Electric State has partially been a community effort, with over 5 thousand fans plunging forward to support the book's development on Kickstarter, resulting in more than $300,000 in donations. If you're like us and can't wait to get your hands on a copy, there's good news and bad news; you'll have to wait until December 2017 for the physical release, but it is set to include texts written by Stålenhag himself explaining each photo. Check it out below, and let us know what you think!
More info: Official Website, Tumblr (h/t: DesignYouTrust)
This post may include affiliate links.
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Joyce Deering 8 years ago
Damned Comcast Cable can't do anything right. Just look at this installation job!!
robbie2499 8 years ago
This one is absolutely haunting. It's like a child's worst fear of "home sweet home". Well done!
angelamenace 8 years ago
I think they are slurping up power via VR helmets worn by the houses' inhabitants. Maybe the ppl only get to keep one light. Drones kinda remind me of Predator sans helmet. Awesome artist. Can't wait for the book release. Love, Angela Menace
Nikolette Battle 8 years ago
Is this actually the post-Trumpocolyptic wasteland we can expect for North America?
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Shawn Wright 8 years ago
it's the sheeple in the VR helmets being led by their neighborhood techno-lord. spooky
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TheLastSpacePirate 2 years ago
And Mulder says, "Dammit I wish Scully and Skinner were here to see this...."
TheLastSpacePirate 2 years ago
And Mulder says "Goddammit I wish Scully and Skinner were here....."
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Flavia Slag 8 years ago
You are right about that. Looks much better then the c**p they have on now.
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Hayley Rodgers 8 years ago
A really good anime. I don't know if tv (at least American tv) could do these justice
Art Mesa 3 years ago
The show is different but you can clearly see where the ideas and art direction are from.
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Flavia Slag 8 years ago
I would love to know what the artist is thinking as he creates these pictures. As an artist myself, each creation has a story in my mind.
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Sarah Lennie 8 years ago
Main stream media, and its clueless followers completely unaware they're being fed harmful propaganda. That's what I'm reminded of.
Bob 2.0 8 years ago
Oh jeebus. Seems like commercialism went wrong somewhere (seems like some kind of advertising robot gone rogue)
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Alap ND 8 years ago
Multiple references beautifully interwoven: The scene appears inspired from Will Smith's "I Am Legend" Deer Caught In Headlights. The animal will be hunted, presumably for food. A robot is helping the little girl to kill. Ironically... his elder siblings slaughtered humans.
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BREAK YOUr perceptions 8 years ago
scary part is there are already places like this in the world. aside from the tech.
Francesco Piazza 8 years ago
This is reminds me of William Gibson's description of Thomassons.
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James Johns 8 years ago
That pretty much describes my state. Inhuman, unchanging, destructive and impossible to move.
Just a Purpler 8 years ago
These pictures are very cool! I can imagine what the earth would sound, feel, look, and even smell like just from looking at the art here. I imagine it would be rather quiet other than all the metallic noises, and cars driving around on a wet road from this picture... Really fascinating!!
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Nobody Knows...anything 8 years ago
I literaly just saw that movie. Your comment collided it with the real world and im scared as F##K.
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S Missions 8 years ago
That looks about right for a geothermal power grid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_power
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TheLastSpacePirate 2 years ago
I wonder if you still have to call Dig-Safe if you've been braincabled into the hive mind?
M O'Connell 8 years ago
Wait a minute... Why is that guy drilling a well right next to the road?
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Jason Wisch 8 years ago
I was just there two days ago shooting something. I looked at this and went... I know that place!!
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angelamenace 8 years ago
This image is shown out of order. And the ppl on the ground have died while enjoying their VR. Kayak with girl and bot in the middle distance. Love, Angela Menace
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S Missions 8 years ago
The more I look at them the more I think they might be fusion reactors.
cybersandwitch 8 years ago
if you read his books it gives a complete explanation.
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Christine Cameron 8 years ago
I was showing these to my mom and she made me set one as her desktop (she can never figure out how to get the display aspect ratio she wants!)
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Nobody Knows...anything 8 years ago
I would really love to know what is up with the zombies, and what the Vertually Reality hats look like inside.
angelamenace 8 years ago
The VR helmets go both ways. Person gets pleasant or entertaining input, but energy produced by the brain is drawn off to power the bots and drones and various and assorted mecha ,Love,Angela Menace
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Just a Purpler 8 years ago
The advertisement he made up for this is impressive... It just seems like it would be real. These pictures have me really impressed :O
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Christine Cameron 7 years ago
The book finally came out a few weeks ago and it has a story (that takes about 90 min at a brisk pace to read). You've got it exactly; this is a scary checkpoint scene.
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Markus McCloud 8 years ago
I was thinking more of a Fallout total conversion mod. (or even a standalone game! I'd sure as hell play it!)
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Sarah Lennie 8 years ago
Oh look, it's consumerism and the homes of the zombies that soak it up. Not that much of an alternate reality.
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S Missions 8 years ago
Nice to know we still have conspiracy theorists (they will say this is all staged.)
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What do you think ?
Jef Bateman 8 years ago
It is interesting that this artist is from Stockholm. I am a native of the American West, and these pictures capture the feel of the towns and the landscape in a way that is rare even for a local. It's really amazing work. I hope his book is successful!
Ayonashi 8 years ago
Same here! People living their life inside the OASIS.
Load More Replies... Markus McCloud 8 years ago
Can someone please make this into a game, or a mod for an existing game? This looks beyond awesome!
Art Mesa 3 years ago
There is a show, "Tales From the Loop" and an RPG with the same name. There is also a video game.
Load More Replies... Derpicorn 8 years ago
I really want a show or movie like this! These are so cool and I can think of a million things to go with them! Just wow! 😄🦄👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Cheese 8 years ago
If you are interested in themes like these, you should check out 'ready player one'. It is honestly such an amazing book!
Load More Replies... BREAK YOUr perceptions 8 years ago
man you'd think the computer overlords would understand and prefer the use of wireless connections.
Christine Cameron 7 years ago
Today is the day (that the book is released to everyone (like me) who didn't get in on the Kickstarter! Just got word my copy has shipped and should be here tomorrow!!!!!
Shawn Wright 8 years ago
this..needs to be made into a book and give us more history as to the life and why things happened! im so amazed at this!
Mixedupste 8 years ago
These are amazing!! So much detail! I would love some of these prints for my staircase. Just so interesting and amazing to look at.
Jef Bateman 8 years ago
It is interesting that this artist is from Stockholm. I am a native of the American West, and these pictures capture the feel of the towns and the landscape in a way that is rare even for a local. It's really amazing work. I hope his book is successful!
Ayonashi 8 years ago
Same here! People living their life inside the OASIS.
Load More Replies... Markus McCloud 8 years ago
Can someone please make this into a game, or a mod for an existing game? This looks beyond awesome!
Art Mesa 3 years ago
There is a show, "Tales From the Loop" and an RPG with the same name. There is also a video game.
Load More Replies... Derpicorn 8 years ago
I really want a show or movie like this! These are so cool and I can think of a million things to go with them! Just wow! 😄🦄👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Cheese 8 years ago
If you are interested in themes like these, you should check out 'ready player one'. It is honestly such an amazing book!
Load More Replies... BREAK YOUr perceptions 8 years ago
man you'd think the computer overlords would understand and prefer the use of wireless connections.
Christine Cameron 7 years ago
Today is the day (that the book is released to everyone (like me) who didn't get in on the Kickstarter! Just got word my copy has shipped and should be here tomorrow!!!!!
Shawn Wright 8 years ago
this..needs to be made into a book and give us more history as to the life and why things happened! im so amazed at this!
Mixedupste 8 years ago
These are amazing!! So much detail! I would love some of these prints for my staircase. Just so interesting and amazing to look at.
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