Stranger Things

Stranger Things is a supernatural horror Netflix TV series that was released in July 2016. It stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Natalia Dyer, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Charlie Heaton, and Joe Keery.
Stranger Things is notable for the way it pays homage to (or sometimes makes overt references to) horror or supernatural movies of the 1980s, like E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Carrie, or Alien,For examples, see this July 2016 Vulture article and also 80s pop culture such as Star Wars and Ghostbusters.
Stranger Things was created by brothers Matt and Ross Duffer and sold to Netflix after being turned down by over ten developers. The story is based on a myth originating in Montauk, New York about a government facility that kidnapped children and performed experiments on them during the Cold War. The show began filming in 2015 using sites around Atlanta, Georgia. The first season was released in 2016, was renewed, and the second season was released in 2017. Season three premiered on the Fourth of July in 2019. Season four was released in 2022 in two parts, the first part on May 27 and the second part on July 1.
==Canon==
:On November 6, 1983 in the town of Hawkins, Indiana, 12-year-old Will Byers vanishes mysteriously. Will's frantic mother, Joyce, searches for him while Police Chief Jim Hopper launches his own investigation. Will's friends Dustin, Mike and Lucas discover a psychokinetic girl who claims to know Will's location. As they uncover the truth, a sinister government agency tries to cover it up, while a more insidious force lurks below the surface.Wikipedia
===Main Characters===
* Joyce Byers S1-4
* Chief Jim Hopper S1-4
* Mike Wheeler S1-4
* Eleven ("El") S1-4
* Dustin Henderson S1-4
* Lucas Sinclair S1-4
* Nancy Wheeler S1-4
* Jonathan Byers S1-4
* Will Byers S1-4
* Steve Harrington S1-4
* Max Mayfield S2-4
* Billy Hargrove S2
* Robin Buckley S3-4
===Reccurring Characters===
* Karen Wheeler
* Dr. Martin Brenner
* Barbara "Barb" Holland
* Lonnie
* Officer Powell
* Officer Callahan
* Scott Clarke
* Bob Newby
* Sam Owens
* Kali Prasad
* Mews Henderson
* Heather Holloway
* Tommy Hagan
* Carol Perkins
* Eddie Munson
* Argyle
==Fandom==
Stranger Things is a new fandom and has been growing in popularity since its release, especially in August 2016 after being recced constantly on Facebook and Tumblr. Fanworks started appearing nearly immediately on Archive of Our Own, Tumblr and FanFiction.net. Stranger Things RPF has also appeared. The fandom also has a strong presence on Reddit, Twitter and Instagram.
Because the show draws inspiration from a lot of 80s media and uses it to plant clues and easter eggs, the fandom tends to write a lot of analysis and meta pointing them out. Before each new season drops the fandom sees an increase in discussions and theories about what's going to happen next, often encouraged by the Stranger Things official accounts on social media.
=== Fandom Popularity on TikTok ===
Stranger Things became extremely popular on TikTok after season four aired, especially focusing on the character of Eddie Munson. Many people cosplayed as Eddie either for short scenes, skits, to lipsync to songs, or simply while recording other videos.
Voice-lines from the show were remixed to created the "Chrissy Wake Up" song which trended in various formats and song-writers wrote songs based within the canon material, such as Sapphire's song about Billy Hargrove from the perspective of Max Mayfield .
There were also many videos with ship discussions (and ship wars), short video analysis, reaction vids and other videos theorising about events that may or may not happen in the show.
There was also a lot of toxicity alongside this, with some fans of Stranger Things seemingly being exposed to normal fannish hobbies like cosplay for the first time and branding that side of the fandom "cringey" for the way they engaged with fandom. Sapphire, mentioned above, had to turn off all comments on their videos to prevent the barrage of hate comments and harassment they were subject to Stranger Things fans on TikTok are being told they’re ruining the show for cosplaying - The Tab. September 2, 2022. (Accessed November 6, 2023) Stranger Things fans are being ridiculed over their Eddie Munson posts - Popbuzz. September 1, 2022. (Accessed November 6, 2023).
===Statistics===
*In 2016, Stranger Things was ranked eleventh in the Top 20 "most reblogged" live-action television show on Tumblr2016′s Top TV Shows - Live Action. 
*In 2017, Stranger Things moved up three places, ranking eighth in the Top 30 "most reblogged" live-action television show on Tumblr.2017′s Top Live-Action TV Shows
*In 2018, Stranger Things remained in eighth place on Tumblr's list of the Top 30 "most reblogged" live-action television shows2018’s Top Live-Action TV Shows
*In July of 2019, after the release of the third season, the show appeared for the first time in letzan's Top 20 Femslash Week in ReviewFemslash week in review: 2019-07-30 - 2019-08-05
*In 2019, Harringrove was the 31st most popular ship on Tumblr.https://fandom.tumblr.com/post/189431747929/2019-ships Toastystats listed Stoncy as one of the most popular poly ships on AO3.https://archiveofourown.org/works/21698248/chapters/51753511
*In 2020, Harringrove was the 32nd most popular ship.https://fandom.tumblr.com/post/636856116682375168/2020-top-ships
*In 2022, Stranger Things became #1 on Tumblr's TV show year in review based on fandom presence.https://fandom.tumblr.com/post/702360895245991936/tv-shows-so-much-sci-fi-and-fantasyalmost-like Byler was the most popular ship on Tumblr, with Steddie in second and Ronance as fourth. Harringrove was 31 and Lumax was 32, with more Stranger Things ships appearing later on.https://fandom.tumblr.com/post/702448526072987648/ships-if-its-not-canon-at-least-theres-always There was a separate year in review post to summarize Stranger Things fandom development.https://fandom.tumblr.com/post/702360835242295296/stranger-things-in-a-busy-fantastical-year-of AO3 Ship Stats 2022 listed Steddie as the 10th most popular ship on AO3.https://archiveofourown.org/works/40795074/chapters/102218811
===Pairings===
====Het====
* Joyce Byers/Jim Hopper (Jopper)
* Eleven/Mike Wheeler (Mileven)
* Nancy Wheeler/Jonathan Byers (Jancy)
* Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler (Stancy)
* Max Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair (Lumax)
* Eleven/Dustin Henderson (Henderhop)
* Chrissy Cunningham/Eddie Munson (Eddissy or Hellcheer)
====Slash====
* Alexei/Murray Bauman
* Steve Harrington/Jonathan Byers (Stonathan)
* Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington (Harringrove)
* Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson (Steddie)
* Will Byers/Mike Wheeler (Byler)
* Dustin Henderson/Lucas Sinclair (Henclair)
* Billy Hargrove/Jim Hopper (Bopper)
* Jonathan Byers/Argyle (Jargyle)
====Femslash====
* Eleven/Max Mayfield (Elmax)
* Barbara Holland/Nancy Wheeler (Bancy)
* Kali Prasad/Nancy Wheeler (Kalancy)
* Robin Buckley/Nancy Wheeler (Ronance) or (Robinancy)
* Robin Buckley/Kali Prasad (Robali)
* Joyce Byers/Karen Wheeler (Joyren)
* Robin Buckley/Heather Holloway (Buckleway)
* Robin Buckley/Vickie (Rockie)
* Robin Buckley/Chrissy Cunningham (Buckingham)
====OT3====
* Nancy Wheeler/Jonathan Byers/Steve Harrington (OT3: Monster Hunting or Stoncy)
* Will Byers/Eleven/Mike Wheeler (Milevill)
* Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington/Jim Hopper (Hoppingrove)
* Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson
* Eleven/Max Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair (Elumax)
====Gen====
* Robin Buckley & Billy Hargrove & Steve Harrington (Tag on AO3)
* Steve Harrington & The Party (Tag on AO3)
* Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson (Tag on AO3)
* Billy Hargrove & Jim Hopper (Tag on AO3)
* Jonathan Byers & Steve Harrington & Nancy Wheeler(Tag on AO3)
* Billy Hargrove & Max Mayfield (Tag on AO3)
* Mike Wheeler & Nancy Wheeler
* Max Mayfield & Mike Wheeler
* Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington
====Crossover Ships====
=====Slash=====
* Will Byers/Richie Tozier
* Bill Denbrough/Mike Wheeler
* Eddie Kaspbrak/Mike Wheeler
===Challenges===
:see also List of Stranger Things Challenges
* Stranger Things 7 Day Challenge (2016-2017)
* Jopper Autumn Challenge (2018-2020)
* Stoncy Week (2020-)
* Elmax Week (2023-)
* Ronancetober (2022-)
* Stranger Things Femslash (2023-)
===Conventions===
*Stranger Con
===Fan Theories===
*Dr. Brenner is Alive
===JusticeforBarb===
After season one and the death of character Barb Holland fans began tweeting #justiceforbarb, feeling that the character's death was not given the weight it should have been during the season. The hashtag became a fan campaign, it attracted the notice of the show's creators and stars. Barb's popularity and the anger at her death was a surprise 
As a result of the campaign the show's creators promised that fans would find justice for Barb in the second season, and bringing closure to Barb's story was a large part of Nancy's arc.
==Example Fanworks==
===Fanart===
*Barb fanart by nanlawson (18 August 2016)
*,Eleven fanart by sarakipin (8 August 2016)
*by mermaidblobs (29 August 2016)
*by VarshaVijayan (15 December 2016)
*, fanart by Kimi-mo (26 September 2016)
* by JCLF88 (21 October 2016)
====2018====
===Fanfiction===
*Shadowplay by Nokomis, featuring the children
*armed with stories you will leave by heartofwinterfell, told from Mike's POV
*Pink Swans by twowritehands, Eleven and Will are connected
*Ice Cream Social by Sholio, Steve with a car full of kids
*i don't wanna be your friend (i wanna kiss your lips) by delicaterenegade, Elmax
*Not So Bad by outofyourgourd, Steddie
*Keep it Steady, Eddie by outofyourgourd, Steddie
*sub-culture by palmviolet, Steddie getting together
===Fanvids===
*Heroes by illbeaknight
*Knocking On Heaven's Door by Shainira
*Girls like Girls by Scodders
*Let Me Down Gently by The EclipseOfCat
===Gifset===
====2017====
====Date Published Unknown====
===Meta===
*the wheeler family is a foil for the byers family by hairrington
*fatherhood by obliteration
===Zines===
*Darkerside Zine
*Freaks of Nature, an NSFW Monster AU zine for the relationship of Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson.
*Hawkins Collection a Stranger Things slash zine
*MOUTHBREATHERS
*Rift
*Transger Things: a T4T Fruity Four Zine!
*Not Kids Anymore: A Stranger Things 3 Zine
==Further Reading==
*STRANGER THINGS FAN ART WILL TURN YOU UPSIDE DOWN, article by Amy Ratcliffe at Nerdist (6 August 2016)
==Archives & Fannish Links==
*Stranger Things works at AO3
*Stranger Things works at FFN
*Stranger Things at Wattpad
===Tumblr===
*Tumblr search tags: stranger things, strangerthings, strangerthingsedit, sthingsedit
*Daily Strange Things
*Strange Things Daily
*Strange Things Edits
*Stranger Things Source
*ST Daily
*a softer hawkins
*Stranger Things Femslash
===DeviantART===
*StrangerThingsFans
*StrangeMenagerie
=== Discord ===
* Stranger Things Writers Guild
==Resources==
*Wiki
*Wikipedia
==References==
Category:Stranger Things