Reviews

• “Stålenhag is an Edward Hopper of science fiction, his hyper-realistic images bordering on the photographic are places of silence and solitude. /…/ Words and images support each other, alternating and completing each other: the author draws what he doesn’t write and, conversely, tells with sentences what he doesn’t visually show to the readers, […] making the book a fascinating narrative hybrid. /…/ Dressing his stories in the guise of science fiction, Stålenhag always gives us reflections closely related to the historical present. In this work, which dates back to 2020, it’s easy to highlight the prophetic parallel between the extermination of humanity and the pandemic, […] but yet more central is the reflection on climate change and migration, and the consequences these and other factors have on Western society and on the ‘rights’ that many of us European citizens consider inevitable and our due, without reflecting on what these privileges could mean for other societies and populations. Entering Stålenhag’s labyrinth also means this: weighing every present choice to prevent an inextinguishable and unforgivable original sin from darkening our future.”

• “[The Labyrinth provides] full pages of gloriously detailed art. And this is wonderful stuff, each one worthy of putting on your wall. The first few pages alone could each be the covers for a 60s sci-fi book. Not that this feels retro – I feel a hint of nostalgia, references to what has gone before, but this is its own beast. The scenes range from large ruined landscapes, details of chairs and telephones, close-ups of frying pans and mysterious giant metal creatures. /…/ This is an interesting and dark piece.”

• “I found myself paralyzed by every page of The Labyrinth. This is a thoughtful, efficient story that frightened and engaged me purely on the power of its mood and gentle descriptions. My mind was allowed to run wild on each image, only to be grounded in ways I didn’t anticipate with each narration. /…/ I had a thoroughly enjoyable experience with it.”

• “For those who’ve read Stålenhag’s previous works or watched Tales From The Loop, The Labyrinth appears to be a must-read as it’s set to be another piece of terrific sci-fi world-building from the talented illustrator. Stålenhag is a master of his craft and continues to get better and better.”