Stranger Things and the '80s: The Complete Retro Guide

SINCE ITS PREMIERE IN THE SUMMER OF 2016, Stranger Things has become a global phenomenon. It also restored in vivid detail the pulse and feel of a decade: the 1980s.The show's creators--the Duffer Brothers--describe the series as "a love letter to the '80s." From its synth soundtrack, to its retro fonts, to its nostalgic nods to Spielberg and Stephen King, Stranger Things is populated with references, homages, and artifacts from the Reagan era. This book dives deep into that world, revealing everything you wanted to know about the series and its influences, including:The parallels to the show's biggest touchstone: the 1982 classic, E.T.: The Extra TerrestrialThe significance of The Clash's hit song, "Should I Stay Or Should I Go"The context behind Dungeons & Dragons--which incited a national panic in the '80s--and an explanation of how the game works in the showThe connections to a host of '80s books and movies, including Stand By Me, IT, The Thing, Aliens, and The GooniesOther stops on this "curiosity voyage" include: explorations of arcades, Ataris, BMX bikes, MTV, Radio Shack, Carl Sagan, Ronald Reagan, Eggos, Steve's hair, and mom jeans. Packed with detail and insight, Stranger Things and the '80s is the ultimate companion to the hit show and the era that inspired it.

"Joseph Vogel does a masterful job connecting every pop cultural dot, taking us back to the '80s at 88mph, in a book that's just as nostalgic and fun as the show itself."
-Caseen Gaines, Author of We Don't Need Roads: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy
"A must-read for any fan of Stranger Things." -Heroic Hollywood
"Rather than just offer up another trivia guide, this book attempts to recreate the feeling of what it was like to grow up in the 80s, to revel in the works of Spielberg, to listen to New Wave [and] Hair Metal, to read the tomes of Stephen King, and to enjoy the convenience of home gaming PCs and consoles for the first time ever. For those of you (like me) who remember this decade fondly and would love to revisit it, or for those of you who missed out on the 80s but want to know more about the decade (if only to better understand Stranger Things), this is the book for you." -Collider