Uncovering Stranger Things: Essays on Eighties Nostalgia, Cynicism and Innocence in the Series

by Kevin J. Wetmore Jr. (Editor), Nicholas Diak (Contributor), Rhonda Jackson Joseph (Contributor)

The Duffer Brothers' award-winning Stranger Things exploded onto the pop culture scene in 2016. The Netflix original series revels in a nostalgic view of 1980s America while darkly portraying the cynical aspects of the period. This collection of 23 new essays explores how the show reduces, reuses and recycles '80s pop culture--from the films of Spielberg, Carpenter and Hughes to punk and synthwave music to Dungeons & Dragons--and how it shapes our understanding of the decade through distorted memory. Contributors discuss gender and sexual orientation; the politics, psychology and educational policies of the day; and how the ultimate upper-class teen idol of the Reagan era became Stranger Things' middle-aged blue-collar heroine.

Genres: Nonfiction

262 pages, Paperback

Published March 25, 2019

About the author

Kevin J. Wetmore, Jr. is Professor and Chair of Theatre Arts with areas of expertise in Japanese theatre, African theatre, Shakespeare, Asian cinema, horror cinema, Greek tragedy, stage combat and comedy. He has degrees from Bates College, the University of Leeds and the University of Pittsburgh, where he completed his doctorate in Theatre and Performance Studies. He also received an M.A. in Theology from LMU.

In addition to his scholarly work, Dr.Wetmore is an actor, director, stage combat choreographer, and comedian.

Reviews

[Ian Welke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stranger Things Uncovered is an excellent collection of essays reflecting upon different aspects of one of my favorite series. These essays talked about the music, the gaming, the era, and the state of education which included my favorite side character the hero-level science teacher.

It’s always a good sign when a work generates continued thought, and much as the show has generated this essay collection, I found myself thinking about these essays well after I finished reading the book.

My only tiny complaint is that the excellent essay on post punk in Stranger Things has left my one question unanswered, how on Earth did the Duffer Brothers fail to use the Jesus and Mary Chain song “Upside Down”?

[Kimmie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yikes! I am astonished that the editor chose to attach his name to this hodgepodge of gobbledygook. Essays were littered with grammatical and plot mistakes as if the authors didn’t pass the ninth grade or even watch the show. And some essays were written by who were seemingly that guy from Flowers for Algernon when he was in his peak. I do not have a 300 IQ, sheesh.

But most of all, many essays were just ludicrous. The vines symbolize vaginal discharge? You know, sometimes the curtains are just blue! Joyce is a bad parent because she works?! This was clearly an outdated collection, but in the words of Derek Turnbow, “Suck a fat one!”

[WallofText · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating 2.5 stars

Such a mixed bag. Started strong but kinda lost itself along the way. Also due to being written after only S2 was released quite a bit is outdated by now. My favourite essays were:
-Gaslighting, Marginalization and the Well- Coiffed in Stranger Things
-Stranger Things and Our Memories of Colombian TV in the Late Eighties
-The Eaten- for-Breakfast Club
-Monsters and Moral Panics
-Not a Princess Anymore
-AIDS, Homophobia and the Monstrous Upside Down

Worth a read still just for these in my opinion

[Lizzy Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for Monster Librarian forthcoming.

[Angelina]

Ggh