The World According to Simon Stålenhag 

His world makes me want to cry. Not out of a pain, or anguish that one would typically think would bring a person to tears, although these were a part of it. It was of a sort of knowledge that we were both missing this kind of a present because of past choices we made, and that we were realizing exactly the world in decay and turmoil of his works. It is a melancholy and nostalgia. Retro-Futurist Nostalgia. Nostalgia for a future that we do not have, rather than for a past that was.

There's another implied question you missed at 5:44: what if the technology starts re-building itself, and uses humanity to do this? "The Electric State" provides an unsettling glimpse into this possibility. And its nothing short of terrifying.

The underscore with the narration is immaculate

Thank you for making this, I have been browsing around all day trying to find a summary of his work. Nice job and thanks again.

1:42 - The books actually set in the 80's with the sequel, Things from the Flood being set in the 90's (I have the tabletop RPG's based on the book which simon himself worked on which goes into more detail about the setting)

1:51 The guy's actually carrying things from his old house into Officer Ribbing's house after the flood ravaged the landscape.

damn this deserves so much more attention. it's too bad this is a pretty obscure topic on the internet, or at least it took me a long while of going down a rabbit hole to find it. I hope it does gain more attention as once i saw one painting of his as even a thumbnail, I was instantly hooked

This makes me cry, not because of the sorrow, or anything like that. The fact that we cannot understand the story of this, bits and pieces from RU-vid shared, but not the entire story.

The most disturbing part of Stalenhag's work is how seeded it is in reality. It plays on our paranoia that we may ruin our environment and how careless we are about the future of technology. Thank you for this video!

I recently, a month or two ago, happened to stumble across these amazing paintings. After a little research I started to follow Stalenhag creations and storyline. Like Mr. Spock would say, " totally fascinating ".

I love symbolism behind things like this and how it really makes you think differently of the world. I love how deeply it potrays our surroundings and the artwork in general is amazing. It's exactly the type of artwork I would've come up with as well if it weren't already made by him. It's beautiful.

Thanks for sharing 🙏. Simon definitely has an 3rd eye view of life. Im an 22 year Professional Tattooist and Artist. I think Simon S is probably has some of THE best visuals, imagery and futuristic way of how humans are addicted to technology.

a childhood dream of mine, the same way some dream of going to space, was to adapt the electric state to film. sadly that's been taken from me, but this video was such great motivation for that time.

You have a such a great way of storytelling. I don't know who you are exactly but mark my words you will be big one day! Continue making such stuff, I would love to watch more.

This definitely deserves more attention! It’s very insightful and well made

His work helped me through a really lonely time, and then when tales from the loop was turned into a live action series, I was ecstatic. Though it did bring back some serious melancholy, I adore this artist.

This perfectly describes the feeling I got whilst playing stray (the cat Story game) or seeing the lonely Robots lushed by moss in the ghibli movie castle in the sky

Got all his books his paintings are so melancholy but also beautiful

This video deserves more views, because you did an excellent job

Made me cry.

This needs so much attention

Great illustrations. Captures the atmosphere I want for a game.

2:40 - Shout out to Bridgeport, CT.

The way you describe and reflect upon art, is art itself. I feel like your video added to my overall experience with Stalenhag's work. Nice!

👏👏👏 I am glad to see intellectuals making videos like this explaining the purpose of dystopian arts such as electric state, tales from the loop, blade runner etc. It makes more people aware of our every day world and learn that humans should stay together and that technology is an evil thing that can separate us and ruin our every day lives.

Worlds explored since the coof circus: The one of Death Stranding (dead and empty but also beautiful and haunting), the one of Horizon Zero Dawn (alive and complex), the one of Vandermeer's Borne (3 books, hostile in every aspect), the one of Simon Stalenhag (memories of a past that doesn't exist).

Beautifully described and explained. Well done

I forgot about this concept. Thank you.

There is also an absolutely fantastic tabletop game built off Simon's world building and art.

A man who runs to their nature gods out of fear of technology is no more or less foolish then the man who builds computer gods. About as foolish as crying for the loss of a future that never was. Still it’s really cool art with cool concepts.

Damn. I remember reading the book. It was one hell of a ride.

Please, provide the music tracks, especially the first one. It is so good.

One of my favorite artists

That video was really interesting

I had no idea they made it into an Amazon series! Wow!

Good video, glad I stumbled upon this.

1909.. that's remarkable insight into the human-machine condition for so long ago

Great video essay!

Your content is exceptional

I am from Sweden and this is so cool. It reminds me of a game called generation zero.( it is worth checking out on xbox gamepass)

Thanks for creating this video

This is great. I loved the show, as well.

Could you please tell me what the song in the background is, that you used starting in minute 2:20 ? I love it so much and cannot find out what its name is....

new subscription from me. very well put, beautifully written.

I love this guy's work so much

amazon prime cant do much more this masterpiece art "the electric state".. only netflix can do this world according simon stanlehag , just >>> like "love+robot+death"...

Tales from the Loop is set in the 80's

Great video!!

How good/faithful is the Tales from the Loop series?

may i ask what's the title of the background music? 🙏

Loved his work since I first came upon it in 2018.

Corrected title: The world according to Simon Stålenhag and E. M. Forster

Excellent commentary

You have a great narration voice. Not British but a fairly distinctive N American. I think most prefer your dialect as authoritative. There’s a show where the British Captain guy speaks American because it’s a space luxury cruise ship and supposed to give him a more comforting, professional manner. Funny how it used to be the other way. Altho thinking about it I guess I’d want my spaceship cruise captain to be American for some weird reason.

Future is a Dream, my child... Because when one stops dreaming, future is no more. Because it is hard to remember what we dreamed when we are awake.

It's not fictional it's called Cern in Switzerland

Wow love it good job

Where are the windmills ?

I like Stalenhag, he is good.

What genre atsmofre is this can someone tell me?

U should right a book

My world is a world in we’re in my summary I think the world can never be supernatural as there will always be something wrong and I think that the world will probably be like the future in the book because it shows basically that sweet technology is the end of their sweet nature as nothing lasts forever even technology the world is not just a planet but it’s more then that it’s a world of life and how it can be ruined by the same life that resides on the planet

It is beautiful, haunting, thought provoking imagery that maybe points out the dark side of technology. However, a little more context. Technology is the simple byproduct of humans innate instinct to survive by creating tools to protect and provide for family. Nothing more, nothing less. This has been going on for hundreds of thousands of years. Just know, before modern civilization life was incredibly brutal, filled with suffering and was very short for everyone. The only thing that’s different now is there are many tools now that can end our existence. Who gets to tell who which tool is wrong. “Your bow and arrow is bad so I need to knock you in the head and take it from you.” Tyrants like the Japanese Emperor, Mao, Stalin and hitler believed they knew better. Be very careful who you give power to control your life by controlling your technology.

I just think the robots are cool

Just a note; The letter "T" in certain words should not be replaced by the letter "D".

I would not Say that the series takes place in the 50s, at least the paitings dont, i think that the series takes place in the 70s maybe 80s, think that becouse the cars in the paitings are real ones built in the 70s

basically tales of the loop is horizon zero dawn

Hypothetical future, or the real world outside the matrix? Maybe we are living inside one of those towers. Connected and dreaming.

grand father and a grandson*

lil beauty

Класс!!!

💜🤘

Ironically these images looks similar to images created by AI

the sun doesnt Rise or Set, it's a fixed Star. The world Turns.

MODERAN

I dig Stalenhag, but people put way too much stock into his stuff. Dude took seventies/early eighties scenes and added scifi elements. That's it. It's fine, but I wouldn't call it pinnacle scifi by any means. His books consist of stories that are scattered paragraphs across a hundred or so pages. All total, about ten pages of prose in each one. I think if he wants to be taken a bit more seriously by the scifi/literary community he needs to write more and do a much better job with his stories. Right now he's just an artist who attaches short blurbs to his works.

Why do you use technology to shame others for using technology? Does that make you feel better about yourself? Better than others?

= D

no. this story is more incomplete understanding of reality. we need a relationship with Lord Jesus in order to survive. go to a man of God who knows the difference between titles baptism and and in the the of Lord Jesus Christ. no further than your nearest Apostolic Pentecostal minister

한국인 없나?

Gen zero

Not the only well known Swedish man named Simon