Visionary Swedish illustrator and author Simon Stålenhag (“The Electric State“) has an uncanny knack for presenting advanced machinery in ordinary settings to create a dreamlike juxtaposition of time and technology. Anyone who has ever experienced his startling artwork comes away with a wondrous glimpse into a fictional world that resonates with haunting beauty.
And if his retro-futuristic style seems familiar, Amazon Prime’s evocative sci-fi anthology, “Tales From The Loop,” was inspired by his catalog of surreal paintings. Now Stålenhag has created a new 184-page apocalyptic artbook that takes full advantage of his fiercely original compositions and Space.com has an exclusive peek inside this deluxe hardcover.
“The Labyrinth” (Image/Skybound, 2021) arrived on Nov. 17 in a prestige format edition that offers up the visual saga of devastation and vengeance set against an otherworldly realm filled with ancient remnants of a catastrophic phenomenon.
A lumbering eight-wheeled vehicle trundles across a hellish landscape of ash and ruined buildings toward a lone bunker deep in the remote wilderness. Inside the vehicle are three passengers: two scientists—who intend on using the outpost as a headquarters for studying planet-ending phenomena—and a young boy named Charlie.
As the story unspools, the isolation and claustrophobia of the home base threatens each member of the expedition with madness. Forced to face their own dark history and the struggles of the haves and have-nots, the team finds itself hurtling toward an inevitable Hell.
“The Labyrinth” is available in comic shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play and anywhere books are sold.
If you’re looking for more cosmic reading, check out our Best Space and Sci-Fi Books for 2021.
