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Popular Culture and Philosophy #126
Stranger Things and Philosophy: Thus Spake the Demogorgon
Stranger Things and Philosophy is an important book, the first of its kind to examine the fantastical world of this award-winning, widely beloved, phenomenal show with a philosophical lens. This is important precisely because the show rests so heavily on a complex and thought-provoking mythos based around secretive government experiments and a parallel dimension that darkly reflects readers' own. The series as a whole has asked more questions than it has delivered answers, and the chapters in this volume will explore these topics.
From the deepest recesses of the Upside Down, its tunnels snaking beneath the local bookstores of Hawkins, Indiana and who knows where else, this collection of philosophical musings on the world of Stranger Things promises to enlighten readers. This volume considers many of the philosophically related ideas that that come up in the show such What are the moral implications of secret government projects? What is the nature of friendship? Does scientific research need to be concerned with ethics? What might it be like to experience the world from the perspective of the Mind Flayer? Is it possible to understand the metaphysics of the Upside Down?
From the deepest recesses of the Upside Down, its tunnels snaking beneath the local bookstores of Hawkins, Indiana and who knows where else, this collection of philosophical musings on the world of Stranger Things promises to enlighten readers. This volume considers many of the philosophically related ideas that that come up in the show such What are the moral implications of secret government projects? What is the nature of friendship? Does scientific research need to be concerned with ethics? What might it be like to experience the world from the perspective of the Mind Flayer? Is it possible to understand the metaphysics of the Upside Down?
- GenresPhilosophyEssays
256 pages, Paperback
Published November 5, 2019
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144 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 4, 2022
In Stranger Things, we’re transported to a moment in which life was unchartered and where shitty decisions are light years away … we could still be something, somebody, someday.
December 31, 2025
Ho saputo che Ewing ha fatto altri saggi del genere mescolando media e filosofia, ma devo dire che con Stranger Things (con tutto che non ha trattato la quinta stagione in quanto ai tempi in cui il libro è stato pubblicato non era ancora uscita) ci ha preso: ha scomodato Jung, Platone, i Vangeli apocrifi, Hume e tanti altri per mostrarci ancora di più che Stranger Things non è una semplice serie Netflix di grande successo, ma è anche tanto altro: è soprattutto una storia scritta da autori che ragionano su cosa significa rivivere i ricordi d’infanzia, su come si può dare un senso a quanto si è vissuto, e soprattutto su come sia stato possibile creare un futuro in tempi dove la paura ci governava con la minaccia costante di una guerra che ci avrebbe spazzato via tutti definitivamente. Gli appassionati di Stranger Things non devono perdersi questo saggio (e secondo me questo saggio anticipa tante cose di quello che succederà nell’ultima puntata della quinta stagione).
January 15, 2026
Actual rating 2.5 stars
A very mixed bag. There are quite a number of essays in here that I found abysmal, lacking in academic standards, compelling analysis, or even basic facts about the material it analyses. There were also a number of uninclusive essays especially in regard to queer topics. On the other hand there were some truly thought-provoking and brilliant essays in here, too. My favourites were "Who Is Will Byers?" and "Can Anything Good Come from the Upside Down?" though I also enjoyed "Save the Demogorgons!", "Friends Don’t Lie", "Abnormal Is the New Normal" and "Gotta Have Faith".
A very mixed bag. There are quite a number of essays in here that I found abysmal, lacking in academic standards, compelling analysis, or even basic facts about the material it analyses. There were also a number of uninclusive essays especially in regard to queer topics. On the other hand there were some truly thought-provoking and brilliant essays in here, too. My favourites were "Who Is Will Byers?" and "Can Anything Good Come from the Upside Down?" though I also enjoyed "Save the Demogorgons!", "Friends Don’t Lie", "Abnormal Is the New Normal" and "Gotta Have Faith".
February 24, 2023
While these books are always insightful, this one was flush with grammar mistakes. At one point, an essay referred to Devin, not Dustin. It just pulls you out of the experience too quickly.
October 14, 2019
“Stranger Things and Philosophy” contains a dozen philosophical treaties into the deeper levels of “Stranger Things”, and it goes well beyond “why is the Upside Down so terrifying?”
It explains the symbolism in Stranger Things, the psychology of nostalgia “Stranger Things” plays upon and the accidentally inauthentic things in a TV show known for its amazing historical accuracy. The history and cultural aspects of the 1980s are periodically addressed, though the show plays on the modern ethos of making the abnormal normal.
It discusses the heroism of Eleven and the lessons she and we can learn about friendship. It presents the tests of faith in a non-religious television show and how the repeated possessions by the Mind Flayer affect Will’s identity. One essay analyzes how higher moral principles versus rules and the law can justify civil disobedience, using “Stranger Things” as their singular example.
There are several sections addressing issues like why the public was outraged at the death of Barb and why we’re attracted to horror shows like “Stranger Things”. We see the subtle juxtapositions in the show like the good Demogorgon of Dart versus Doctor Brennan. There are multiple discussions on the various horrors in “The Upside Down” and how the combination of them makes the parallel dimension uniquely terrifying.
This book is a must read for would-be philosophers and fans of “Stranger Things”. Five stars.
Note: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
It explains the symbolism in Stranger Things, the psychology of nostalgia “Stranger Things” plays upon and the accidentally inauthentic things in a TV show known for its amazing historical accuracy. The history and cultural aspects of the 1980s are periodically addressed, though the show plays on the modern ethos of making the abnormal normal.
It discusses the heroism of Eleven and the lessons she and we can learn about friendship. It presents the tests of faith in a non-religious television show and how the repeated possessions by the Mind Flayer affect Will’s identity. One essay analyzes how higher moral principles versus rules and the law can justify civil disobedience, using “Stranger Things” as their singular example.
There are several sections addressing issues like why the public was outraged at the death of Barb and why we’re attracted to horror shows like “Stranger Things”. We see the subtle juxtapositions in the show like the good Demogorgon of Dart versus Doctor Brennan. There are multiple discussions on the various horrors in “The Upside Down” and how the combination of them makes the parallel dimension uniquely terrifying.
This book is a must read for would-be philosophers and fans of “Stranger Things”. Five stars.
Note: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 5, 2022
This book was tremendously helpful! I used it to help me write my academic essay which I need for my film school application it was incredibly informative and easy to navigate and a great educational companion to a fantastic show (bonus points for it being my first ever E book)
May 19, 2024
Stranger Things and Philosophy: Thus Spake the Demogorgon journeys to the Upside Down to find the messages and meaning behind this popular horror series. Featuring over a dozen articles by a variety of scholars, issues such as hyper reality, semiotic values, monsters, and identity are explored. Some are quite insightful and do a good job at relating the concepts and ideas back to the characters and plotlines of the show. However, there are a couple that are hard to follow. Also, only the first 2 seasons of the series are covered; leaving a number of characters and plotlines out of the discussion. Yet while it has some weaknesses, Stranger Things and Philosophy: Thus Spake the Demogorgon is a fun and thought-provoking exploration of this groundbreaking television series.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews