The Electric State

Simon Stålenhag

Sep 2018 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

*Soon to be a Netflix film starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt*

A teen girl and her robot embark on a cross-country mission in this illustrated science fiction story, perfect for fans of Stranger Things and Black Mirror.

In late 1997, a runaway teenager and her small yellow toy robot travel west through a strange American landscape where the ruins of gigantic battle drones litter the countryside, along with the discarded trash of a high-tech consumerist society addicted to a virtual-reality system. As they approach the edge of the continent, the world outside the car window seems to unravel at an ever faster pace, as if somewhere beyond the horizon, the hollow core of civilization has finally caved in.

Ratings and reviews

I bought the physical book, which was indeed great: the artworks are superb and also the story was very intriguing. As I bought the ebook (because I needed the book also in it's digital form), I realised the bad image resolution. Given the fact, that this is an artbook, that was a no go. I would not recommend buying the ebook version of this book - the hardcover provides a much more fulfilling experience.

The Electric State is an amazing resentation of our world and the risks of our own hubris as a species. I became quickly enthralled from the sample and shortly after reading it I had purchased the book: I was slightly nervous about the short page count (144), but found it understandable as much of the story includes art. I enjoyed the story quite well, especially reaching towards Amanda's story-ark and felt upset at the bittersweet experience Michelle was put through, relating to it myself. The twists nearing the end were utterly heart wrenching, I still love and hate the ending as the cliffhanger was massive, but I feel like it was left on purpose for the reader to think about. Overall, 10/10. I will deeply miss Michelle and her personality, as well as the universe she resides in. TL;DR Book Hangover. Heavily reccomended, a must read for it's genre.

I need more books related to the electric state, I know it's pretty destroyed but I really need a movie / animation it's a good book i really love it's kinda awesome like how realistic it is it kinda looks like real life pictures not gonna lie

About the author

Simon Stålenhag is the internationally lauded artist and author of Tales from the Loop, Things from the Flood, and The Electric State—the narrative art books that stunned the world with a vision of an alternate 1980s and 1990s where technology had invaded the tranquil landscapes to form an entirely new universe of the eerie and the nostalgic. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden.