Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag burst onto the art scene in 2013 when his first series of paintings were shared on the Internet, and has since become something of a phenomena in the art and sci-fi communities. His original blend of naturalistic landscape paintings with science-fiction elements and a very low-key recollection of growing up in the ’80s struck a chord, not just in Sweden, but all over the world. The Verge, Wired, IO9, Scientific American, and The Guardian have all praised his work. But until late 2014, the only place you could watch his art was in digital form on the Internet. Stålenhag splits his time between a small cabin at Mälaröarna (the setting that inspires his work) and an apartment in Stockholm.

Now in development to be an Amazon Studios series!

Simon Stålenhag’s Tales from the Loop is a wildly successful crowd-funded project that takes viewers on a surprising sci-fi journey through various country and city landscapes―from small towns in Sweden and the deserts of Nevada to the bitter chill of Siberia―where children explore and engage with abandoned robots, vehicles, and machinery large and small, while dinosaurs and other creatures wander our roads and fields.

Stålenhag’s paintings and stories take place in an alternate version of Sweden in the ’80s and ’90s, primarily in the countryside of Mälaröarna, a string of islands just west of Stockholm, and how this reality came about: the development of the Loop, a large particle accelerator and the side effects of the massive project.

These incredibly captivating works and accompanying text capture perhaps a not-too-distant reality that is both haunting and imminent: addressing the many ways developing technology and nature can create havoc and wonder in our world―plus, its impact on the next generation. This is the English edition of the first book in Swedish that sold out in its initial printing.