One of the great joys of freelancing is building relationships with so many amazing, creative people, often leading to future freelance opportunities. Through my relationship with Modiphius, I had the opportunity to work on the Mutant: Year Zero line. During that project, I got to know the creative team at Free League Publishing, the designers of the rpg. Last week, I received an email from Free League Publishing thanking me for my work on Mutant: Year Zero and asking if I would be interested in proofreading a shorter text that was not game-related. I really enjoyed working with Modiphius and Free League Publishing on the rpg, so I enthusiastically accepted another creative project with them. When I agreed to the proofreading project, I had no idea it was for such an amazing and beautiful work. What I had been asked to work on was the English translation of Simon Stålenhag’s Tales from the Loop.
The Fire Guards – painting from Book One (Simon Stålenhag’s Tales from the Loop Kickstarter)The first Tales from The Loop book was released on the Swedish Book Fair in September 2014 and was an instant success. The book contained the full first set of paintings from The Loop, the enormous particle accelerator hidden beneath the pastoral Swedish countryside, as well as a score of short stories chronicling life in the shadow of the machines.
Simon Stålenhag’s retro-Scandinavian sci-fi images have been wildfire across the internet in the last few years. Now – not only is his first artbook coming in English for the first time – with your help, we will publish a brand new second book as well, continuing his amazing story.
This was my first time proofreading an art book, but I hope it was not my last. I enjoyed reading the proof text, immersing myself into the world Simon had created visually and descriptively. The style of writing required a different mindset for the proofreading, a more childlike visualization but from the perspective of an adult reflecting on the past. There was also the challenge of being sensitive to the Swedish culture and linguistic elements, yet helping bridge the gap into English-speaking vocabulary and grammar. I feel very blessed to have been involved in such a unique and artistic project.
What unique freelance projects have become available to you as a result of your previous game industry work?