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Simon Stålenhag

シモン・スターレンハグ

Shimon Sutārenhagu

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1984-01-20 （Mälaröarna, Stockholm county, Sweden）
Nationality
Sweden
Languages
Swedish, English
Residence History
Mälaröarna, Sweden

Career

Occupations
Artist, Musician, Designer
Active Years
2013-
Influenced By
Lars Jonsson, Ralph McQuarrie, Syd Mead
Nominations
Arthur C. Clarke Award Finalist (2019, The Electric State), Locus Award Art Book Category Shortlist (2019, The Electric State)

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Tales from the Loop

2014 Retro-futurism

Nostalgic art book featuring Swedish countryside with retro sci-fi elements centered around the construction of a massive particle accelerator called the Loop.

NostalgiaSci-fiSwedish landscapesGiant robots
Adaptations
  • [TV series] Tales from the Loop / Various (Mark Romanek, Andrew Stanton, Jodie Foster et al.) (2020)
  • [Tabletop RPG] Tales from the Loop (2017)

Things from the Flood

2016 Retro-futurism

Sequel art book depicting the world after the Loop's decline.

CollapseDecline of welfare stateSci-fi

The Electric State

2017 Retro-futurism

Graphic novel about a teenage girl and her robotic companion traversing a fictional Pacifica state.

JourneyRobotsAmerican landscapes
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Electric State / Russo Brothers / Andy Muschietti (2025)

The Labyrinth

2021 Retro-futurism

Narrative art book focused on an underground governmental facility.

Underground worldMysterySci-fi

Swedish Machines

2024 Retro-futurism

Most personal work exploring masculinity, sexuality, and time in an alternate Mälaröarna.

MasculinitySexualityTime

Bibliography

  • Tales from the Loop (2014)
  • Things from the Flood (2016)
  • The Electric State (2017)
  • The Labyrinth (2021)
  • Swedish Machines (2024)

Adaptations

  • Tales from the Loop TV series (Amazon, 2020)
  • The Electric State film (Netflix, 2025)
  • Tales from the Loop RPG (2017)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Oil painting-like digital artPhoto-based sketchesHandwritten brush strokes
Recurring Motifs
Swedish countrysideGiant robotsMegastructuresWelfare state declineRetro sci-fi

Legacy

Known for retro-futuristic art inspiring Tales from the Loop TV series and The Electric State film. Contributed promo art for No Man's Sky and more.

In Popular Culture

  • Visual inspiration for Tales from the Loop TV series
  • Basis for The Electric State film

Quotes

  • The only difference in the world of my art and our world is that... ever since the early 20th century, attitudes and budgets were much more in favour of science and technology.
    Source: The Verge interview (2013) (2013)

Trivia

  • Began illustrating local landscapes young, inspired by Lars Jonsson.
  • Drew 28 dinosaur pictures for Swedish Museum of Natural History.
  • Climate change rising ocean illustrations for Stockholm University.
  • Promo art for No Man's Sky.
  • Designed Ripple Dot Zero game with Tommy Salomonsson.
  • Released electronic albums The Electric State and Music for DOS.