The Breathtaking Horror of 'The Electric State'

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  • Опубліковано 19 гру 2024

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  • @SYD.0_o
    @SYD.0_o Рік тому +5311

    Simon Stålenhag has been my favourite artist for ages. His work really is a masterpiece

    • @MichelDood
      @MichelDood Рік тому +38

      same, even for another genre of art, his paleo art is amongst my fav

    • @ratboyOwO
      @ratboyOwO Рік тому +26

      same, I remember I used to see his art posted a lot on the wallpaper board on 4chan years ago.

    • @troythefrog4084
      @troythefrog4084 Рік тому +19

      I agree. Simon Stålenhag is GOAT.

    • @vangard9725
      @vangard9725 Рік тому +3

      The waffle House has found its new host

    • @hanknewman54
      @hanknewman54 Рік тому +5

      @@vangard9725 🤓🤓

  • @georgemccartney8906
    @georgemccartney8906 9 місяців тому +235

    Oh my God, I just realized that 16:56 and 18:32 are a direct before and after of the same scene, probably only seconds apart given the man is still in the same position. It even shows the birds flying away just before the colossal machine wakes up followed by bits of debris falling off the monster after it stands up. That's how fast these things can come to life and move around, that is the most terrifying thing ever

  • @Markus_Andrew
    @Markus_Andrew Рік тому +694

    The concept of people losing themselves in addictive virtual realities is older than many may realize. The first work of fiction to explore this idea was a series of short stories, later condensed into a novel, called "The Man Who Awoke" by Laurence Manning. It was published in 1933. A similar work, "Pygmalion's Spectacles", was written by Stanley G. Weinbaum in 1935.
    This is certainly not to take away from Stålenhag's magnificent artwork and concepts. Quite the contrary, his work is breathtaking. I just mention it as a point of interest.

    • @lonewasp
      @lonewasp Рік тому +21

      @@marzupalami I don't think the Allegory of the Cave is about losing oneself in an alternate reality, but rather having a blindness to reality. Similar concepts that overlap at times, but not exactly the same.

    • @hardbrocklife
      @hardbrocklife 11 місяців тому +5

      Reddit = Neurocasters

    • @leociresi4292
      @leociresi4292 8 місяців тому +8

      Apple Vision Pro!

    • @klowen7778
      @klowen7778 7 місяців тому +2

      Gamers....

    • @DanielVerberne
      @DanielVerberne 5 місяців тому +9

      I find the idea of people losing themselves in an addictive virtual world to be fascinating. I'm a big fan of space exploration and for the search for intelligent life elsewhere in the Cosmos. I happen to think that the Fermi Paradox might be solved if intelligent life ends up creating virtual lives that are much more compelling than 'real' lives.

  • @idavid8391
    @idavid8391 Рік тому +7109

    I was just looking into this book because of this video when I found out Netflix is making a movie about it. I sincerely hope it delivers even half of the world that this incredible book displays!
    Edit: I get more replies to this comment than any other, which I find fairly funny. Anyway, UA-cam's recommending this more after the trailer and no, it doesn't like even remotely the same as the book. Might still be fun at least? Guess we'll see.

  • @cinders5305
    @cinders5305 Рік тому +2890

    What I really like is how the main villain, the Intracerebral Intelligence, is only spoken of like 4 times, nothing is known about it except that it exists and it's trying to create a physical body to manifest in the organic world.
    No explanation as to why it does this, what it wants, what its end goal is. Just it's a thing that is there, and it's not going to leave

    • @OutOfWards
      @OutOfWards Рік тому +1

      Why it does: What it wants: And it's end goal is to be able to replicate itself, just like humans. Parasites are we on Earth(as humans killing the organism we live on[the reality]); Parasitic it wants to be[Just like you and me].

    • @OutOfWards
      @OutOfWards Рік тому +21

      Great comment, it got me thinking!

    • @SandraRodri7726
      @SandraRodri7726 Рік тому

      The purpose is to trap you so you lose your soul and eternal life if you believe in Jesus Christ.
      AI is the image of the beast

    • @sovietunion7643
      @sovietunion7643 Рік тому

      i mean hell for all we know it could be trying to transform humanity into robotic bodies. we know it essentially has all human brains and emotions downloaded into itself, it could genuinely still see itself as human and wanting the best for humanity. of course being a bio-technological hivemind means its ways of doing so will be strange and borderline grotestque but still.
      i personally think that's even more strange, scary and offputting. not some malicious hivemind AI (which has been overdone in terminator and in so many others) but an hivemind AI made up of human brains that wants to transcend humanity. something that does the grotesque because it sees it as good for the whole. a hivemind that wants to do what it sees as help humanity. not only does it grey the moral lines but it make the reason for all this be.. strange. the catastrophe that ended a nation has melded said nation's minds together into something alien but still thinking. for me that's even stranger and more off putting as its like seeing something you were at a long time ago but different.

    • @TrashGoblin824
      @TrashGoblin824 Рік тому +86

      I like how it's just kind of in the background of this world while the story focuses on the main character's journey, somewhat ironically since it's implied there's a connection between them and the hive mind

  • @kentslocum
    @kentslocum Рік тому +586

    I'm mostly just grateful that Simon doesn't feel the need to explain or explore every single detail of the lore and backstory of the world he's created through his incredible art. So many game developers, writers, illustrators, and filmmakers leave nothing to the imagination when it comes to the worlds they create. But that sense of mystery and intrigue regarding the unknown is exactly what makes these worlds so captivating.

    • @alejandrorivas4585
      @alejandrorivas4585 Рік тому +50

      i think there is room for both. Part of what makes 40k interesting is that literally any question you could possibly have has an in lore explanation, and it makes the setting feel extremely fleshed out and real. But there is something to be said of the allure of the unknown.

    • @kentslocum
      @kentslocum Рік тому +20

      @@alejandrorivas4585 Good point! I was mainly thinking about the Star Wars universe, where the lore is no longer cohesive, there is extremely detailed information about some things and no explanation for other things, and where any sense of mystery has disappeared because literally anything can happen without following any pre-established rules.

    • @hermestrismegistus3417
      @hermestrismegistus3417 Рік тому +8

      The original Silent Hill game haunted me for years, in part because so much of the story was left open to interpretation

    • @Selrisitai
      @Selrisitai Рік тому +4

      I've never seen this "leave nothing to the imagination" thing. Every time I hear about world-building it's in the context of "good" or "I'm not reading a million in-game books just to know what the eff is going on here."

    • @kentslocum
      @kentslocum Рік тому +8

      @@Selrisitai Then you've been extremely lucky. I got fed up with Star Wars precisely because they decided to try to explain and explore every single part of it, only revealing how nonsensical it really is.

  • @thatkidmamboGaming
    @thatkidmamboGaming Рік тому +5116

    The sense of melancholy that Simon Stalenhag can convey simply through art is truly baffling

  • @SlashForeward
    @SlashForeward Рік тому +2099

    As someone who spent their childhood living in the Mojave, I think it's the perfect setting for this. There's... nothing out there. Barely any towns, and what towns there are, it's as if they're just clinging to life. There's hundreds of square miles of nothing at all. I love this. In a terrible way, I'd love to explore this world

    • @sovietunion7643
      @sovietunion7643 Рік тому +77

      i only know the mojave from fallout new vegas although im sure the nuclear apocolyspe changed very little about the desert's appeal

    • @threethrushes
      @threethrushes Рік тому +27

      Be careful for what you wish.
      It might just come true.

    • @edanpino-xt1ph
      @edanpino-xt1ph Рік тому +21

      As someone who lives in the desert, I say there is a lot. Sure it isn’t human but there’s a lot

    • @leociresi4292
      @leociresi4292 Рік тому +8

      Electric State, 50 % humanity, cancer rate 95%

    • @arcadeassassin7176
      @arcadeassassin7176 Рік тому +8

      It's no wonder that so many post apocalyptic stories take place there.

  • @BelelEscabel
    @BelelEscabel Рік тому +102

    Love how you mentioned Norco. Not enough people have played that absolutely magnificent piece of art.

    • @Zayza12332
      @Zayza12332 Рік тому +5

      Bro I live in louisiana and I was just thinking about narco and then BOOM

  • @itsd0nk
    @itsd0nk Рік тому +1158

    This is an artist with some incredible understandings of lighting, light transport, and how photography functions with these elements. I’m amazed by how accurate his lighting is. Even the dynamic range of his hypothetical camera that’s taking these images seems accurate.

    • @Salty010
      @Salty010 Рік тому +19

      agreed the lighting ambient its invoke the mystery feel and unknown.i heard russo brothers gonna make a movie or series out of it...i dont even know they can do justice about it though...

    • @josephnerney4823
      @josephnerney4823 Рік тому +16

      Have a look at his Instagram, I'd imagine he uses a lot of reference photos but super impressive.

    • @AJTheInvisibleGirl
      @AJTheInvisibleGirl Рік тому +1

      I thought it was from a movie…

    • @jacobshort6528
      @jacobshort6528 Рік тому +1

      I bought an art book of similar quality to this one from Bud Plant's Incredible Catalog. It is called The Alien Race.

    • @jacobshort6528
      @jacobshort6528 Рік тому

      Aliens land a gargantuan ship in the middle of the East River of New York. It is totally automatic. It starts to broadcast a signal calling for the best of Earth's racers to come participate in the Alien Race on their home planet.

  • @hillwench
    @hillwench Рік тому +822

    Your videos are becoming increasingly artistic over time, your passion for the material really shines through. One note though- Raw Fury is the publishing company for Norco, but the developers were Geography Of Robots.

  • @Seawing-v5d
    @Seawing-v5d 9 місяців тому +8

    Watching this for the second time and it's very good. The local cancer clinic where I live has video advertisements running in the exam rooms on flatscreen 2'x4' monitors. They run ads for various commercial messages about drugs and treatments while sometimes terminal patients sit trapped in a tiny room alone with the screen, probably wondering WTF am I in this scenario? IDK but this video just reminded me of it.

  • @drewcifer1754
    @drewcifer1754 Рік тому +1439

    A lot of this reminds me of the imagery seen in Half-Life 2. Specifically the idea of old urban areas being overtaken by a sort of alien looking technology, wires, high tech doors built over tenement buildings, abnormal power sources, the awe and fear you get the first time you see the giant Striders (which are essentially huge robots themselves) Top tier stuff all around.

    • @thekeithfulbarrums
      @thekeithfulbarrums Рік тому +71

      This is exactly what I was thinking! What makes the imagery so dramatic isn’t the technology, which looks like reasonably standard sci-fi engineering, but the fact that everything around it is so… normal. It almost seems old fashioned.
      Of course central to this is Stålenhag’s art. I have seen very few illustrations that give such a convincing impression of light.

    • @wingy200
      @wingy200 Рік тому +30

      @@thekeithfulbarrums I've never seen such realistic water droplets on a window from someone's art before. That blew my mind.

    • @kenrickbaughman992
      @kenrickbaughman992 Рік тому +1

      Half Life 2 imagery is about ALIEN take over fool, this imagery is in a different reality ding ding

    • @drewcifer1754
      @drewcifer1754 Рік тому +36

      @@kenrickbaughman992 No, the the plot is about an alien take-over, the imagery has a lot more going on artistically and thematically, and as I said there are robots in it e.g. the Manhacks, Dog, and the Striders. I said the imagery here reminds me of some things in Half-Life 2, not that they were the same. You don't need to be an internet tough guy. Think before you type.

    • @kenrickbaughman992
      @kenrickbaughman992 Рік тому

      @@drewcifer1754 dude im an retired 20 year travelling tattooer and artist, Stalenhag story to this movie is the Electric State retard it has nothing to do with Half Life and im not gonna play patty cake with some dork talking about video games pffft.... Watch the movie!!

  • @Coldwater-sw6me
    @Coldwater-sw6me Рік тому +508

    This is probably by far my favorite piece of printed art in the last decade. Its very nuanced tale about our current obsession with interconnectivity and the very human things that might get lost with it are just topped by stålenhags iconic art. Every single artwork makes you stop and pulls you in. I have it standing visible in my bookshelf together with things from the flood. Thank you for covering this. It really can’t hurt if it gets a more wider public range. Let’s hope the upcoming TV-Series can draw some more people in. Again Thank you a lot. Great work👍

    • @romanhamala2127
      @romanhamala2127 Рік тому +2

      Well, darn... one of us is going to have to change!

    • @Coldwater-sw6me
      @Coldwater-sw6me Рік тому +2

      @@romanhamala2127 no😀 I think we both are pretty fine🫡✌️

    • @sovietunion7643
      @sovietunion7643 Рік тому +4

      i mean yes the internet has its issues and isolation and other problems are at a high but that's not really just the internet's fault. its more of a lack of social boundries and norms around the internet because its so new. give it 100 years and we will have traditions and certain areas to be respected which will make people fair better.
      also societal trauma from post WW2 area has effected a lot of countries negatively (see declining european birthrates/religocity as a good example) so overall the internet will be a net good once society and social norms catch up to it.

    • @juimymary9951
      @juimymary9951 Рік тому

      What tv series? We getting tales from the loop season 2?

  • @joelleblanc8670
    @joelleblanc8670 2 місяці тому +95

    I just saw the trailer for the Netflix adaptation, and came here to feel clean again.... 😭

    • @ArkarLinnLatt
      @ArkarLinnLatt Місяць тому +4

      Same as soon as I watch the trailer I remember this video

    • @tishgrier
      @tishgrier Місяць тому +14

      That trailer is disturbing. And not in the good way that the book is. The Girl doesn't need some big man to help her. What makes the book such a page tuner, aside from the spectacular art, is this story of a young woman and a robot boy. And that's it. They have to figure out how to stay safe. That's the tension of it. Bringing in some dude....I don't know...maybe to satisfy a demographic 🙄

  • @orionbarnes1733
    @orionbarnes1733 Рік тому +571

    I found this book once in a library when I was too young to understand all of it, but even at the time, I felt that it was something absolutely amazing. I didn't get the book, and just read it in the corner. I left and went home, and I didn't think about it for so long that I completely forgot the details, and I had no idea what it was called, so I couldn't search for it either. I didn't even know how to describe it, and I was beginning to wonder if it was even real. Today I found this video, and it's amazing to see these things that I was starting to wonder if they were just a dream. Now, as somebody with more interest in storytelling, I truly realize how incredible this book is. As somebody raised in the early 2000s, these images have an almost GMod like feel to them.

    • @nickmaclachlan5178
      @nickmaclachlan5178 Рік тому +12

      I have a similar experience with a different, but similar book from my childhood. In the eighties I remember a school friend having a large coffee table type book full of illustrations of long since crashed and decayed Alien Spaceships on far flung planets. I have no idea what the book was called or who the artist was, but I remember being captivated by it and I'd love to find out more and maybe even track down a copy.

    • @RCAvhstape
      @RCAvhstape Рік тому +14

      @@nickmaclachlan5178 Look up Stewart Cowley's "Terran Trade Authority" books, I bet that's what you were looking for. I had one of them in the 80s and a few years ago I found two more my local library was trying to get rid of. Cowley is a Brit who compiled a bunch of unrelated space art works and compiled them into these volumes that loosely tie them together as part of a future history. One of the books is called "Spacewreck" and sounds like what you describe.

    • @nickmaclachlan5178
      @nickmaclachlan5178 Рік тому +3

      @@RCAvhstape Many thanks for that, I will have a look.

    • @cesarsain3731
      @cesarsain3731 Рік тому +29

      How old are you cuz the book was published in 2018

    • @tnttiger3079
      @tnttiger3079 Рік тому +3

      They could be an 18-y/o adult now but 12 or 13 when the book came out tbf

  • @jamzee_
    @jamzee_ Рік тому +352

    Having visited Norco during a trip through Nola, its the spitting image of “painful industrialism.” It’s so surreal to drive through those streets, to smell the fumes of the factories, the rust in the air even miles away. You can smell the gas even from Kenner.
    Where we live, we consider the entirety of the Nola side of Pontchartrain as part of New Orleans, but to say the parts of it like Norco are part of New Orleans is a strange contradiction to the picturesque beliefs people have towards New Orleans.
    In reality, New Orleans is the real life equivalent of a catholic and gothic Night City from cyberpunk. High crime included. It feels the same as these games and images. Its a city gone wrong. Nola screams decay. Norco just happens to be the best example of how it does so. But just like the images… the billboards and commercial chains stand defiant against the decay around it.
    Theres a few McDonalds in Norco and New Orleans that are surrounded by rusting sheds and rundown houses probably older than the United States itself. Its, creepy.

    • @nmlss-r9
      @nmlss-r9 Рік тому +9

      There is a visual adventure also called Norco, set in the close future. I didn't even knew the place existed irl but your description matches the game.

    • @bluest1524
      @bluest1524 Рік тому +1

      I agree that McDonalds is creepy. The hideous, mechanized and traumatizing cruelty to animals at the core of their product, the horrific destruction of the planet for profit... one of the most creepy things I've ever seen.

    • @whit9250
      @whit9250 Рік тому +8

      I'm from Baton Rouge. I've driven through Norco many times, and lived in New Orleans. Your description is very accurate.

    • @DavidDrouant
      @DavidDrouant 8 місяців тому

      @@whit9250 Fat City boy here

    • @katefresina832
      @katefresina832 8 місяців тому +1

      I've never been to Norco but I have seen pictures, and good grief they are just as you described it.

  • @DiamondChicken10
    @DiamondChicken10 Рік тому +9

    I got this book after watching your video on Tales from the Loop, and I'm so glad you made a video on it. The story is incredibly haunting but hopeful in a kind of singular way for the protagonist. It feels like she deserves the ending she gets after her background and the twist at the end of the book are revealed. How you narrate and talk about these stories makes them resonate with the mysteriousness and dread that seems so inherent in most of Stålenhag's work. So thank you for covering these stories and introducing me to a new world of fantastical settings.

    • @stinkletoes8285
      @stinkletoes8285 Рік тому +1

      This is the comment I was looking for...Couldint rememebr the name of the show( Tales from the Loop)..really want that second season..?

  • @quanzoboi420
    @quanzoboi420 Рік тому +250

    This story has horrified and enchanted me beyond any description of words. I absolutely love Stalenhag’s work here as well as “Tales from the loop” and he has quickly become the artist that inspires me the most.

    • @Skumrasket
      @Skumrasket Рік тому +3

      Yet you cant spell his name right, shame

    • @trc8197
      @trc8197 Рік тому +14

      @scumbasket wow guy, you've got such a good outlook and perspective to be able to correct someone's spelling of their fav author the way you do.
      No one will pity you. And no one will recall what you've done or said. Or even how you've made them feel. Fade away little person.

    • @uhuh9859
      @uhuh9859 Рік тому +7

      @Skumrasket All they did was type å as a, they might not have that letter on their keyboard.

    • @uhuh9859
      @uhuh9859 Рік тому

      @T r C Holy shit that's the biggest overreaction I've ever seen.
      All they did was say some (probably sarcastic) dumb thing about a misspelling, and you're telling them to "fade away", and that they're insignificant and worthless? Calm down and touch some grass.

    • @Stp1497
      @Stp1497 Рік тому +1

      @@Skumrasket not everyone has the letter used in his name, it's from a different alphabet to english.

  • @doppy8682
    @doppy8682 Рік тому +234

    During the bit where the Neurocasters were compared to the internet, I momentarily felt like the internet was being judged too harshly because I would argue that it's a tool to be used and that we use it for our livelihoods, but now I wonder if the people in the Electric state similarly had to depend on the neurocasters in a similar fashion

    • @funkuro
      @funkuro Рік тому +28

      Dystopias always make a comment about the society they were created in. Obviously we haven’t had an apocalypse yet, but it’s fun and maybe even necessary to consider.

    • @Vivian-eo3qc
      @Vivian-eo3qc Рік тому +4

      @Capital J good post OP

    • @johnmicheal3547
      @johnmicheal3547 Рік тому

      Blame on capitalism is like blame your parents for giving birth to you.
      Just look at the countries that practice capitalism vs countries that worship socialism, you will see a huge different. People were more free and happy when america was practicing capitalism. Now you find yourself working 12 hrs a day to pay for your car to get you to work because america is socialism. Look at china were socialism had always been at their core. People there are practically slaves.
      Capitalism is at fault just like your parents at fault for giving birth to something so stupid that bites the hand feeding it. Kinda ironic.

    • @johnmicheal3547
      @johnmicheal3547 Рік тому

      Washing machine is the result of Capitalism. Don't worry, thanks to the progressive socialism you will get to experience hand washing soon and not by choice.

    • @Vivian-eo3qc
      @Vivian-eo3qc Рік тому

      @@johnmicheal3547 okay can't even spell your own last name right-kun

  • @RestitutorOrbis-II
    @RestitutorOrbis-II 3 дні тому +2

    3:40, the art is labeled "The Decay of that Colossal Wreck." This is one of the last lines in the poem "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
    "...Nothing beside remains, round the decay of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, the lone and level sands stretch far away."

  • @jeremyruiz4741
    @jeremyruiz4741 Рік тому +200

    I remember buying this book in 2019. As a photographer I was astounded by Simon’s use of atmospheric lighting, especially when the protagonist reaches Linden Point. By far my favorite artist so far.

  • @Gfors85
    @Gfors85 Рік тому +92

    Ive actually worked with Simon on a smaller company and I remember seeing his stuff being totally blown away. supernice guy aswell.

  • @thesithofearth3617
    @thesithofearth3617 11 днів тому +7

    Seeing the trailer for the netflix movie makes me sad. Electric State deserves better

  • @wesleymiles8756
    @wesleymiles8756 Рік тому +108

    Simon has been my favorite visual artist for years. The landscapes he recreates invoke a kind of nostalgia and familiarity I have yet to see elsewhere. Growing up in the New York/New Jersey region, I find a lot of his pieces to be very reminiscent of the sights I see on a daily basis. Thinking about it now, i’m pretty sure he inspired me to pursue an art career.

  • @nix-cipher
    @nix-cipher Рік тому +189

    Absolutely fantastic video!
    This 'Electric State' is both mesmerizing & terrifying.
    I hope someone does fanfiction on this.

    • @Dirtfire
      @Dirtfire Рік тому +7

      Isn't there a movie being made of this?

    • @nix-cipher
      @nix-cipher Рік тому +3

      @@Dirtfire i dont know,but if its half as cool as the artwork it should be awesome.
      Im gonna look online

    • @Honeyhive_1976
      @Honeyhive_1976 Рік тому +2

      @@Dirtfire Yeah the russo brothers are working on it

    • @uhtred7860
      @uhtred7860 Рік тому +6

      @@Dirtfire Yeah, its going to be Netflixed, so prepare to be disappointed.😏

    • @WNRD1983
      @WNRD1983 Рік тому

      @@uhtred7860 and?

  • @xXJAng3lXxx
    @xXJAng3lXxx Рік тому +4

    As an artist, I'm glad you didn't give away the end cause I was really contemplating stopping the video to buy the book but didn't, but now I'm going to

  • @GreatAukEntertainment
    @GreatAukEntertainment Рік тому +75

    Always love it when you talk about some underrated stuff, keep doing what you do best man!

  • @MasterShade32
    @MasterShade32 Рік тому +52

    My wife bought me this book as an anniversary gift after she saw I had a couple wallpapers on my PC from it. What an incredible piece of art.

  • @ianevans8939
    @ianevans8939 Рік тому +4

    Thank you so much for bring this title and author to my attention. Stunning artwork and gripping gritty dialogue. Haven't seen anything like this in many years.

  • @MichelDood
    @MichelDood Рік тому +78

    Simon Stalenhag is a LEGEND. He's also done paleo art which yall should check out since this audience is similarly into spec evo.

    • @Slovflyer
      @Slovflyer Рік тому

      I was about to post this. I've been aware of this group of sci-fi paintings for almost a decade, and about 4-5 years ago found a load of his paleoart on his website. Very cool renditions of traditional favorite dinos/prehistoric reptiles. I actually use those as slideshow wallpapers for my laptop. 😄

  • @NeosAvias
    @NeosAvias Рік тому +34

    I ready need to check out more of Simon’s art, just simply due to his sense of scale and atmosphere. That liminality conveyed with his lighting and color is friggin’ phenomenal.

  • @joeyj6808
    @joeyj6808 10 місяців тому +2

    You have a real talent for highlighting excellent artists I have never even heard of, and showing why their visions are worth examination. Thank you for doing that! This was another eye-opener for me. Amazing work!
    And yes, his work IS better than a hug from Stalin!

  • @7vector
    @7vector Рік тому +20

    I'm so glad this channel exists, the videos are amazing and you can tell how much passion is put into them.

  • @tmseh
    @tmseh Рік тому +73

    I bought this book last year.
    Excellent read.
    I've heard it may be adapted for film/streaming.

    • @housewilma4904
      @housewilma4904 Рік тому +7

      it already has a show called "tales from the loop" that launched in 2020.

    • @fireblade295
      @fireblade295 Рік тому +4

      @@housewilma4904 but not Electric State.

    • @oriyo899
      @oriyo899 Рік тому +14

      @@fireblade295 Netflix is making an Electric State movie, full of big name actors (as far as we know). I really wish it was more similar to the Amazon Tales from the Loop adaptation where most of the actors weren't too recognizable, cause imo that makes it fun to see new people instead of the same person we've seen act 500 times. No shade at the casting (maybe Chris Pratt because...really?) but I don't know, could be good, could be really bad.

    • @RominaJones
      @RominaJones Рік тому +8

      The movie started filming this October past. There is already a full wikipedia entry for it with the cast list.

    • @jasondashney
      @jasondashney Рік тому +5

      @@oriyo899 I 100% agree that "fresh" actors are best. There are about a zillion talented actors out there and you 100% buy into a world more if you haven't seen the person 10 times before, and the effect triples if they've made idiotic comments on social media. There are a few stars I look at in a completely different light because as soon as I see them I'm instantly taken back to their real world lunacy instead of focussing on their current character.

  • @Lenape_Lady
    @Lenape_Lady Рік тому +139

    As impressive as this art is…so is your ability to explain it, to put into words the *feeling* of it all. I wouldn’t have been able to explain how this art makes me feel, but you did. And you did it with such accurate poignancy that it blows me away as much as the art does. Thank you.

  • @noahmook5814
    @noahmook5814 Рік тому +89

    This is like a perfect combination of artistic illustration and storytelling.

    • @DrCruel
      @DrCruel Рік тому +2

      It's really short. Took me about three hours to zip through it, like a graphic novel.

  • @creme-glacee
    @creme-glacee Рік тому +34

    I just wanna say, thanks for making the captions yourself! It makes your already amazing videos accessible to more people and although I don’t need captions to enjoy videos, they improve the experience for me a great deal.

    • @crypto-radio8186
      @crypto-radio8186 Рік тому

      What captions? @solus_ren? I don’t need captions too?
      I just wanna say, thanks for making the captions What captions?
      Netflix is making a movie.
      It is already in production,
      release date estimated January 2024.
      ##@@?This story has horrified and enchanted me beyond any description of turds.

    • @w花b
      @w花b Рік тому

      Ice Cream

    • @creme-glacee
      @creme-glacee Рік тому

      @@w花b Yup, it’s my favourite food

  • @ravenmeyer3740
    @ravenmeyer3740 Рік тому +84

    If you noticed, even the abandoned cartoon type characters that were supposed to be happy and smiling, looked angry and evil.

  • @adolinkholin
    @adolinkholin Рік тому +11

    One of the coolest things I've ever had the opportunity to experience, and such an incredible video covering it as well!

  • @heliotoro
    @heliotoro Рік тому +76

    I love your videos, the editing is so good and your naration is top tier.

  • @greenberrygk
    @greenberrygk Рік тому +86

    This really reminds me of the original Siren Head video. I know it seems kind of stupid because of how the internet obsessed over that video, but it really gives off the same feeling of nostalgic dread and of looming lifeless machinery. It shares the sense that whatever these things in the sky are have somehow gone unnoticed for so long despite their incredible size, and only now make their presence known.

    • @krissleo5374
      @krissleo5374 Рік тому +6

      I was thinking the same thing, especially seeing all the lose wires and stationary structures that may or may not remain stationary and just waiting for someone to get to close.

    • @Wepawnet
      @Wepawnet 7 місяців тому +1

      Siren Head video? It was originally an artpiece.

  • @oopajf61
    @oopajf61 Рік тому +27

    Simon Stålenhag introduced me to conceptual artists while I browsed Art Station a long ago and I've never looked back. I love his work.

    • @BenFrankarts
      @BenFrankarts 2 місяці тому

      Ditto. Artstation is where it's at.

  • @CindyandRicoTheCoonhoundCross
    @CindyandRicoTheCoonhoundCross Рік тому +73

    I went to the library to get Tales from the Loop and found Electric State instead. Very fascinating concept. She can't use neurocasters due to something being wrong with her eyes.

    • @TheFirstCurse1
      @TheFirstCurse1 Рік тому +16

      Oh that's super cool. I wish that he would've talked about that.

    • @joostine3720
      @joostine3720 Рік тому +1

      i’m not sure when i’m going to be able to get my hands on the book but i’m very curious how it ends, would you care to explain?

    • @CindyandRicoTheCoonhoundCross
      @CindyandRicoTheCoonhoundCross Рік тому +2

      @Joostine they get to their old home and the robot is her younger brother.

  • @Spork-Art
    @Spork-Art Рік тому +5

    i picked up 'The Electric State' at the library after watching this video and i cannot recommend reading it enough. There's a wonderful humanity in the story told to us by the protagonist that i'm glad Curious Archive didn't spoil, but I fully sobbed through. there is a familiar and haunting parallel in the main narrator's backstory and the world she's traveling through. Can't thank this channel enough for dissecting the book and inspiring me to read it!

  • @bonus_boss
    @bonus_boss Рік тому +7

    i was up all night, i have never seen or herd anything about this author or book, and watching this short overview has me compleatly captivated. The way you Narrated this, covering all of the major points was spectacular. You are very skilled at this Narrative. Thanks for this, you have brought me a new obsession. This type of sci-fi isnt really so far from our actual reality is it.

  • @mattcarsnmusic
    @mattcarsnmusic Рік тому +32

    What a fascinating segment this was, sci-fi needed an incredible work like this lately..if anyone was curious, the main car that the characters are driving is a 92-94 Oldsmobile Delta 98 which was a great car and considered quite high-end in the 90’s! 🤠

  • @festersmith8352
    @festersmith8352 Рік тому +4

    The irony.
    I stumbled onto this video and became intrigued by the narration, visuals, and story.
    This couldn't have happened without the net.
    As one who does not enjoy reading, I was a little disappointed by not finding out the end of the story. But I do understand the concept of spoilers.
    Good video production!

  • @brothermaleuspraetor9505
    @brothermaleuspraetor9505 Рік тому +35

    I love the way the artwork is rendered. There are many different sections that are rendered differently, giving rise to complexity mixed with photographic accuracy, especially when it comes to light and colour reflection on surfaces. It's as if the artist is aware of Ray-Tracing tech as it is evident in the artwork. Then you see a simplistic interpretation- level quality afforded to the background, such as in mountain ranges and the sky.
    It's also as if the artist has been influenced by Japanese Anime, such as Appleseed, Gundam or Akira. Love it!

  • @michaelperks4416
    @michaelperks4416 Рік тому +24

    Simon's work is absolutely groundbreaking. Even without knowing the story and seeing some of the images on their own, my imagination was able to run wild. I may have to get hold of the book after watching this.

    • @sparklespartan935
      @sparklespartan935 8 місяців тому

      🏳️‍🌈⚠️Warning ⚠️ 🏳️‍🌈
      A big chuck of this book is just the protagonist having flashbacks of her and her girlfriend. She goes into detail about her relationship (kissing, rubbing). It really didn’t seem to have anything to do with the plot so if you’re not interested in a lesbian love story, just enjoy the video!

  • @wongsakornwattanavekin7328
    @wongsakornwattanavekin7328 2 місяці тому +3

    Long ago I printed images of his work to put on office walls and desks, any colleague who walked by standed and mesmerizing at least stop for a moment, look around and ask what is this, it's beautiful and eerie... And I always said, it's the art work by Simon Stalenhag then I showed them more in the monitors.

  • @triprpc01
    @triprpc01 Рік тому +45

    You have to love how only the best modern artists actually have true lore behind their paintings.

  • @gatopandillero7899
    @gatopandillero7899 Рік тому +9

    This channel is great, but the thing I like the most is discovering the works where you get the ideas for your videos

  • @Jack-bv6pw
    @Jack-bv6pw 10 днів тому +1

    Simon Stålenhag’s books are like something you would stumble upon as a child and read it, only to regret it afterwards as you now have a new fear (this especially applies to “things from the flood”)

  • @StylizedStation
    @StylizedStation Рік тому +21

    The art is beautiful, but I really apprecieate the brilliant writing you did for this video!

  • @elizabetho.7484
    @elizabetho.7484 Рік тому +15

    I really love the old commercial clips you've added--so in keeping with the tone of the Electric State. Awesome.

  • @richardskinner4198
    @richardskinner4198 7 місяців тому +1

    This is all completely new to me and completely fascinating ,so thanks for this I would never have discovered the artist without you .

  • @Wnick1996
    @Wnick1996 Рік тому +107

    They should make a game out of this. I would love to play it!

    • @Nindroid-zw7zc
      @Nindroid-zw7zc Рік тому +21

      There’s a roleplay game on Roblox 💀

    • @brunitop4753
      @brunitop4753 Рік тому +16

      Brought to you by Hideo Kojima

    • @RominaJones
      @RominaJones Рік тому +15

      There is a movie currently in production. If it is successful there will probably be a game too.

    • @yehooz2150
      @yehooz2150 Рік тому +6

      @@Nindroid-zw7zc there is but after reading the book at looking back to my memories in-game it honestly feels like two different subjects.

    • @BlackvvvFist
      @BlackvvvFist Рік тому +11

      The game Generation Zero is seemingly inspired by his work

  • @ya_dude_himself
    @ya_dude_himself Рік тому +71

    Does anyone else think that something like this would make an amazing futuristic-dystopian souls like game? Like you've got the gigantic monsters and the weird zombie-like humans. Combined with a few stranded survivors and upgrades with cybernetic or digital upgrades.
    I would sell my soul for that game.

    • @wagahagwa6978
      @wagahagwa6978 Рік тому +6

      yeah, id love to capitalize on a free market economy, selling cola to any consumer, using money printers and hoping the government doesn't stop them, by making a labyrinth with a building system and armed guards

    • @Whalebun248
      @Whalebun248 Рік тому +1

      ⁠what

    • @2homies1kfcbucket
      @2homies1kfcbucket Рік тому

      only real ones understand this reference.@@wagahagwa6978

    • @noahsains6227
      @noahsains6227 Рік тому +7

      Its called the surge / the surge 2

    • @ya_dude_himself
      @ya_dude_himself Рік тому +4

      @@noahsains6227 yeah, in between the time I posted the comment and now I actually played them both, loved them lol

  • @Cthulhu_Cat123
    @Cthulhu_Cat123 23 дні тому +21

    Now there's a Netflix trailer for a movie that clearly doesn't pay any attention to the original story. Just amazing.

  • @benjaminrude3814
    @benjaminrude3814 Рік тому +14

    I've always been a big admirer of Electric state's work, and it's definitely had an influence on my pixel animation creations.

  • @isaaclockwood8039
    @isaaclockwood8039 Рік тому +4

    love this channel, such soothing narration through the most eldritch of topics

  • @GeckoMena4433
    @GeckoMena4433 Місяць тому +5

    Going back to this beautiful video to cure my psyche after seeing the netflix teaser

  • @joahnyyssonen577
    @joahnyyssonen577 Рік тому +22

    I love these videos. So excited when a new one comes out!

  • @lovesick_loser
    @lovesick_loser Рік тому +25

    oh hey, i own this book! its truly heartwrenching, and i feel it's way scarier in a more psychological way than his other books. the artwork is incredible and the story is written in a way that really captures the reader... i still think about how haunting the images of the people in headsets looked!!

  • @neuroisis85
    @neuroisis85 Рік тому

    I had all but forgotten about Simon Stålenhag! Thank you endlessly for reminding me!!!!

  • @awsomeness
    @awsomeness Рік тому +11

    What a masterpiece! I’m working on writing a post-apocalyptic road trip novel and definitely want to pull from some of these visuals for the setting.

  • @TheSteven00
    @TheSteven00 Рік тому +11

    I dig when this script veers off from being about the Electric State specifically, and becomes more about a peculiarly specific aesthetic rising in prominence. I started watching your channel for the spec evo, but I would love to see more of that popular art criticism out of ya

  • @PZYiPsymon
    @PZYiPsymon Рік тому +4

    I have just bought the book because of this video. Thanks for a great video and peaking my interest in this artist!

  • @koriw1701
    @koriw1701 Рік тому +21

    I must tell you how much I enjoy your work. Do you write your own scripts or does someone prepare them for you? Your explanations and observations are often so poignant and deep that I have come to expect to see your videos every month or so.
    I am very proud to know about someone such as yourself who takes the journeys for us, and then returns to our world to give us your report (that's how it feels!) Thank you once again for a very exciting foray into "Electric State."

  • @ven7165
    @ven7165 Рік тому +35

    id totally be interested in a series about surviving the leftovers of humanity, with the everlooming temptation of submitting to a force that makes you feel at peace in return for your freedom.

    • @jasondashney
      @jasondashney Рік тому +2

      You're in luck! It stars Keanu Reeves and had ground breaking special effects.

    • @MitchellDouglas4933
      @MitchellDouglas4933 Рік тому

      its called The Matrix

    • @sovietunion7643
      @sovietunion7643 Рік тому

      @@MitchellDouglas4933 i would argue the matrix doesn't really take your freedom, you can still move around and live in the late 20th century life as you would. you think and do things of your own devices. hell that's why at the end of the matrix the deal between humans and robots was "ok you can live in real life if you want and anyone can chill in the matrix should they choose" because living in first world country standards even if its fake is nice than living like a refugee in the real world.

  • @MorrisJones-ne1nf
    @MorrisJones-ne1nf Рік тому +3

    Simon Stålenhags art is so special especially when you’re Swedish, all the settings are so familiar(the ones set in Sweden) I feel like I’ve been in most of his pictures, and the creepy feeling mixed with nostalgia and dejavú is just so… One of the coolest artists ever according to me

  • @britfox7766
    @britfox7766 Рік тому +13

    Great video, always enjoy coverage of Simon Stålenhag.
    Clarification: both films of "Village of the Damned" are adaptations of the book "The Midwich Cuckoos", by John Wyndham, better known for writing sci-fi horror stories like "The Day of the Triffids" and "The Crysalids". "The Midwich Cuckoos" is set in England, like most of his books.

  • @victoriouswinner7745
    @victoriouswinner7745 Рік тому +42

    I've never heard of who this is, nor have I heard of this art but this seems really cool. The story is really interesting, and the art is stunning. I'll need to give this a look.

  • @SonicChan654
    @SonicChan654 2 місяці тому +51

    so who else came back here after the trailer from Netflix

    • @TheGamorion
      @TheGamorion 2 місяці тому

      Here!

    • @romanr4409
      @romanr4409 2 місяці тому +15

      Wanted to be reminded about this masterpiece after the Netflix crap. The whole world is built on atmosphere and they repacked it and made it pop culture to the max.

    • @heredownunder
      @heredownunder Місяць тому +1

      If I play this at 1.5 times speed, it’s just right.

  • @elliejohnson2786
    @elliejohnson2786 Рік тому +17

    I love how you've evolved beyond just showing off artwork, and now you're actually comparing and contrasting it with other forms of artwork, and really making something tangible here instead of a video-form of their original work. Really impressive stuff, keep it up, CA!

  • @nartsadiku8249
    @nartsadiku8249 Рік тому +12

    I remember seeing images like this on instagram so this was quite the watch
    Great job as always and i hope everyone is doing well❤️

  • @zaccardinal4145
    @zaccardinal4145 2 місяці тому +1

    Thank you so much for this video it was really informative without giving away the story. Can't wait to read it!

  • @Dwendele
    @Dwendele Рік тому +7

    I've been into this type of art since probably the late 70s. I remember a couple album covers my brother had that were very similar to this and I was always transfixed by the images.
    I can't believe I've never seen this guy's work!

  • @SonRiseforNathaniel
    @SonRiseforNathaniel Рік тому +7

    Simon is a great artist. Way back we actually exchanged a few emails before he got so widely known. Seemed like a good guy.

  • @IrishTechnicalThinker
    @IrishTechnicalThinker Рік тому +5

    What a fantastic concept and excellent writing with art that's almost hypnotic but terrifyingly brilliant.

  • @elizabetho.7484
    @elizabetho.7484 Рік тому +4

    SO COOL. Love your channel. And going to check out this book--looks amazing.

  • @dlibby4979
    @dlibby4979 Рік тому +3

    Sublime. Giant Trolls. I imagine the stories of his youth gave inspiration. 14:23 reminds me of the Night Hawks painting by Edward Hopper.

  • @michaelmacdonell4834
    @michaelmacdonell4834 2 дні тому +3

    Meanwhile, in Hollywood...
    I am beside myself with dismay, fury, all of that.

  • @garchomarx9343
    @garchomarx9343 Рік тому +4

    That’s some incredible imagery around 3:30, as the dirt and sand engulf the husks the neuromancers they still wear become their grave markers and tombstones

  • @diogene_s8032
    @diogene_s8032 Рік тому +16

    Simon Stalenhag is one of the best artists I've ever heard about, and I'm trying to get a hold of all of his books (I recently got Things from the Flood). I love what you did in this video. Great work!

  • @williamj7343
    @williamj7343 Рік тому +7

    The fact that UA-cam blasted me with three gaggingly consumeristic ads in the course of this video just makes this story all the more disturbing and ironic.

  • @arcosprey4811
    @arcosprey4811 Рік тому +21

    Hey Curious Archive, it’s Ernesto Marrero one of your first subscribers. You’ve grown like crazy! I love your channel. Hope you continue in your success!
    PS: I changed my name, lol.

  • @etonsixfeast
    @etonsixfeast 5 місяців тому +4

    Those who read this:
    one could only imagine the hype or if Ubisoft or any game company decided to make this an open world online survival game with a story mode if players want and I think that is the beauty of the world that this man has shown us there is so much opportunity to be put in the life of someone who is trapped in this lifestyle and this apocalyptic nightmare. hope you see it the same way

  • @davidklemen5264
    @davidklemen5264 Рік тому +3

    does anyone else want more from electric state? like a game, movie, or book? the concept and art are amazing! and i just want more of the world!

    • @HasekuraIsuna
      @HasekuraIsuna Рік тому

      Apparently there is a Netflix adaption in the works.

  • @manofaction1807
    @manofaction1807 Місяць тому +7

    This video is worth a rewatch prior to the upcoming movie....

  • @sphinxtheeminx
    @sphinxtheeminx Рік тому +4

    12:03 Side note these films are based on John Wyndham's novel The Midwitch Cuckoo - lovers of sci fi will know him as the writer of The Day of the Triffids.

  • @josron6088
    @josron6088 Місяць тому +1

    I've never heard of this artist but he is amazing. The machines look terrifying practical and functional. It reminds me of something you would find in Epic Illustrated or Omni Magazine when I was a kid during the 80s.

  • @thegammingbolaschannel7529
    @thegammingbolaschannel7529 Рік тому +40

    You should explore the plane of New Phyrexia from Magic The Gathering as it is such an interesting yet twisted world of mechanical horrors

  • @PopeIvanThe11th
    @PopeIvanThe11th Рік тому +14

    I didn't get a notification, but thankfully I found this video. Keep up the good work man! You deserve every sub and like you get.
    And also Simon S. is one of my favourite artists covered on this channel.

  • @Grasses0n
    @Grasses0n Рік тому +2

    I absolutely love artists that can build a whole world just from art. This one seems extremely interesting. It makes me think of how many incredible stories are out there that have yet to be discovered. I almost wish this would become a movie or something, but with the way most modern films are, I doubt anyone could do this justice. Maybe a graphic novel or something lol.

  • @charlieianzo5513
    @charlieianzo5513 Рік тому +3

    It's like you're not just having to believe in the truth, you're always experiencing it. It's a sort of melancholic circumstance that many of us live day by day, reminding of us what was and still is. Liminality only complements it's nature by compelling the viewer into the world where something has happened and no one was meant to forget it.

  • @cubbyduck9018
    @cubbyduck9018 Рік тому +13

    The fact that when the people are laying in their backs the Nerocasters look like gravestones is so terrifying to me

    • @leociresi4292
      @leociresi4292 Рік тому

      The people sitting in a abandoned church holding what appears to be fleshy computers is disturbing

  • @ekojar3047
    @ekojar3047 2 місяці тому +1

    I have to see his process, like if it starts with a real photograph, or is he just that damn good he can draw these ideas from a blank canvas.
    The colors and scenes and everything is just perfect! A true Master of Art

  • @tylerpetty5458
    @tylerpetty5458 2 місяці тому +4

    The algorithm served this up to me because I watched the trailer for the movie, which seems to have none of the wonder or dread on display here.