The Electric State is a 2018 dystopian science fiction illustrated novel by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag. Set in an alternate technologically ravaged 1990s, it follows a teenage girl and her robot on a journey to the west coast of the United States in search of her long-lost brother.
In 2017, the Russo brothers acquired film rights to the book.[1] They are directing and producing a Netflix film of the same title, starring Millie Bobby Brown.[2]
The book is told through a series of paragraphs, linked to large artworks. The principal plotline follows Michelle, a teenage orphan travelling to the West Coast with a robot companion, Skip, to find her long-lost brother. Flashbacks gradually reveal Michelle's past and the reason for her separation, while a secondary plotline follows a federal agent tracking down her brother.
The Electric State was well-received by critics with a "Rave" rating from the book review aggregator Book Marks based on five independent reviews.[3] Critics at NPR and New York Journal of Books gave positive reviews.[4] [5]
It received starred reviews from both Booklist and Publishers Weekly, where it was praised for the illustrations, writing, and structure of the graphic novel.[6] [7]
NPR named it one of the best books of 2018.[8]