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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)

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#5

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Sophie G
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

let's give them smiles they said it will make ppl like them more they said

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Flavia Slag
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Main stream media, and its clueless followers completely unaware they're being fed harmful propaganda. That's what I'm reminded of.

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Alap ND
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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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Kim Lee
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But that large robots and the cars are a still from 'War of the Worlds'

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TheLastSpacePirate
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5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wonder if you still have to call Dig-Safe if you've been braincabled into the hive mind?

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Nobody Knows...anything
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would really love to know what is up with the zombies, and what the Vertually Reality hats look like inside.

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Just a Purpler
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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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Sarah Lennie
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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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Luke S.
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I kind fell like the antenna removes the point of the camouflage

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