Stranger Things is a multimedia franchise based on the American television series created by the Duffer Brothers for Netflix. The titular series, Stranger Things, debuted in July 2016, attracting record viewership and widespread critical acclaim. Set in the 1980s, the original show follows supernatural events in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, United States of America. Its blend of government-lab conspiracy, child protagonists, and 1980s pop culture nostalgia has earned praise for its writing, atmosphere, ensemble cast, and homage to 1980s genre films. The first four seasons garnered multiple award nominations (including 12 Primetime Emmy Awards) and numerous accolades.
The franchise includes a stage play, planned spin-off series, a line of novels and comics, several video games, and extensive licensed merchandise.
Television series
Stranger Things (2016–2025)
Stranger Things was created, written, and directed by the Duffer Brothers, produced in association with Shawn Levy's 21 Laps Entertainment and Duffers' Monkey Massacre Productions. The Duffers conceived the show as a blend of 1980s Spielbergian adventure and Stephen King–style horror.
The first season (set in 1983) premiered on Netflix on July 15, 2016. It introduced the disappearance of young Will Byers and the appearance of a telekinetic girl named Eleven escaping from a secretive government lab. The first season consists of eight episodes. In October 2017, Netflix released the second season, which focuses on the aftermath of Will's time spent in the alternate "Upside Down" alongside a new entity known as the Mind Flayer. The third season arrived on July 4, 2019. It is set in the summer of 1985, focusing on the heroes' battle with the Mind Flayer at the new Starcourt Mall and culminating in a dramatic confrontation that changes the town's status quo. The fourth season (split into two volumes released on May 27 and July 1, 2022) follows the group in early 1986 as the Upside Down's influence resurfaces via the new villain Vecna, even as the characters face challenges separated across multiple locations. The fifth and final season was released in three parts throughout November and December 2025.
Stranger Things: Tales from '85 (2026–present)
In July 2022, it was revealed that a spin-off series was in the works. In April 2023, Netflix greenlit a straight-to-series order for an animated series that is set in the Stranger Things universe. The animation for the series is being provided by Flying Bark Productions with Eric Robles, the Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen as executive producers on the show. The Duffer Brothers said the series would be in the vein of the Saturday-morning cartoons they grew up with. In 2025, it was revealed that the animated spin-off will be titled Stranger Things: Tales from '85, and as the title implies, it is set in the winter of 1985, between the second and third seasons of the main series. The series will introduce a new character named Nikki Baxter who is said to be "a tinker", and who has pinkish hair that's short on the sides. On November 6, 2025, Netflix released a first look teaser for Tales from '85, also revealing its voice cast.
The first season of Tales from '85 was released in its entirety on April 23, 2026. In April 2026, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on September 17, 2026.
Future In December 2022, reports of an anime series spinoff titled Stranger Things: Tokyo came out. However, the existence of this series has not been officially confirmed by Netflix nor the Duffer Brothers.
A live-action spin-off of Stranger Things, separate from Tales from '85, is in development. In an article published on August 5, 2025, Finn Wolfhard described the planned spin-off as being "like David Lynch's 'Twin Peaks.' Sort of an anthology and different tones but similar universe or same universe. I think set in different places and all tied together through this mythology of the Upside Down. Don't even talk about Hawkins. Don't have any mention of our characters. They were toying around with ideas in case Netflix wanted them. I'm sure they do, and I'm sure it will happen, but there's nothing official. I think the coolest way, the way that I would do it, there has to be labs everywhere. If there was one in Hawkins, there's one in Russia. Where else could they be?".
Aftershows and documentaries
Beyond Stranger Things (2017) With the release of the second season of the series, Netflix also released Beyond Stranger Things, an aftershow hosted by Jim Rash. The guests are cast and crew from the series, including the Duffer Brothers and the series' stars, who discuss the development and production of the series and its larger mythology. Unlike previous aftershows created by Embassy Row, such as Talking Dead and Talking Bad, Beyond Stranger Things is intended to be watched after a screening of the entire second season.
Behind the Scenes: Stranger Things Podcast (2019) In July 2019, Netflix released a three-episode podcast titled Behind The Scenes: Stranger Things Podcast, hosted by Dan Taberski. The podcast explores the making of the show's third season through interviews and production insights.
Stranger Things: Unlocked (2022) For the fourth season, Netflix released a two-part aftershow on YouTube titled Stranger Things: Unlocked. It was hosted by Felicia Day, with the first part releasing on June 9, 2022, to accompany the season's first volume, and the second part one month later for the second volume.
Stranger Things 5: Inside the Episodes (2025–2026) Accompanying season five, a series of behind the scenes features were published on YouTube after the release of each volume under the title Stranger Things 5: Inside the Episodes.
One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 (2026) A behind-the-scenes documentary for the fifth season, titled One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, was released on Netflix on January 12, 2026.
Literary works Books Beginning in late 2018, Penguin Random House partnered with Netflix to publish a series of books based on Stranger Things. These include How to Survive in a Stranger Things World, a children's book released on November 13, 2018, which features advice and insights inspired by the show. Other releases include Stranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down: The Official Behind-the-Scenes Companion, published on October 30, 2018, and a combined Hawkins Middle School Yearbook / Hawkins High School Yearbook, released on March 26, 2019.
Several additional Stranger Things tie-in books have been released in collaboration with Netflix. Visions from the Upside Down: Stranger Things Artbook was published on October 15, 2019, followed by Will Byers: Secret Files on September 24, 2019. Stranger Things: The Official Sticker Album came out on June 15, 2021, and Stranger Things: The Official Coloring Book was released on June 28, 2022. A Little Golden Book titled Stranger Things: We Can Count on Eleven was published on July 5, 2022. A Choose Your Own Adventure-style book titled Stranger Things: Heroes and Monsters was released on April 18, 2023. A second coloring book, themed around the show's fourth season, was published on August 29, 2023. Another Little Golden Book titled Inside, Outside, Upside Down was released on July 9, 2024, with a third entry, Hawkins ABCs, releasing on July 8, 2025. Stranger Things Official Activity Book released on September 2, 2025, followed by Stranger Things: The Official Color-with-Stickers Book and Stranger Things: The Complete Coloring Book, which released on September 30, 2025. A themed cookbook, Stranger Things: The Official Cookbook – Recipes from Hawkins and Beyond by Joshua David Stein, is expected to be released on February 3, 2026.
An official Stranger Things Mad Libs book written by Gabriella DeGennaro was released on May 3, 2022. An updated edition released on September 16, 2025.
Random House published books compiling the scripts of the series, beginning with Stranger Things: The Complete Scripts – Season 1 and Season 2, released on September 2, 2025. Season 3 followed on October 7, 2025, with Season 4 released on November 4, 2025.
A Dungeons & Dragons-themed book, Stranger Things: Dungeons & Dragons: Tales from the Table by Jim Zub and Stacy King, was released exclusively at Target stores on November 4, 2025.
Another behind-scenes book, Stranger Things: The Official Story Behind the Legendary Series written by Gina McIntyre, was released exclusively at Target stores on June 20, 2026.
Insight Editions released Stranger Things Tarot Deck and Guidebook on August 16, 2022, followed by Stranger Things: The Ultimate Pop-up Book on August 30, 2022.
Thunder Bay Press released Stranger Things World of Stickers: Art Inspired by the Series, a keepsake sticker book, on September 30, 2025.
The Stranger Things Annual 2026 was released on September 30, 2025.
In the second quarter of 2019, UK publisher Obverse Books released a book of Stranger Things Season 1, written by Paul Driscoll, as part of its Silver Archive series.
Spanish publisher Monsa Publications released Stranger Things: Tribute on May 1, 2020, followed by Stranger Things: Tribute 1983/1986 on January 1, 2024. Both books feature artwork inspired by the series, with accompanying text presented in both Spanish and English.
Novels A series of licensed novels tie into the television narrative. Key titles include:
Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds (2019) by Gwenda Bond – A prequel novel set in 1969, focusing on Eleven's mother Terry Ives and her experiences with Dr. Brenner at the Hawkins National Laboratory. The novel was released on February 5, 2019. Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher – Published on May 28, 2019, this novel follows Chief Hopper as he recounts his 1977 New York past to Eleven, including his case involving missing children and his experiences after Vietnam. Stranger Things: Runaway Max by Brenna Yovanoff – Published on June 4, 2019, this young-adult novel details Max Mayfield's life in San Diego, California before her family's move to Hawkins in 1984. Stranger Things: Rebel Robin by A.R. Capetta – Published on June 29, 2021, this novel details Robin Buckley's coming-of-age and struggles with her identity as a teenager in Hawkins prior to the events of the third season. Stranger Things: Hawkins Horrors (2022) by Matthew J. Gilbert, a collection of short horror stories told from the perspective of the Party. Stranger Things: Lucas on the Line by Suyi Davies Okungbowa – Published on July 26, 2022, this novel is set after the third season and told from Lucas Sinclair's viewpoint, exploring his teenage life, social struggles, and new friendships as a young Black man in Hawkins. Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus by Caitlin Schneiderhan – Published on October 31, 2023, this novel depicts Eddie Munson's backstory prior to his arrival in Hawkins. Stranger Things: The Dustin Experiment by J.L. D'Amato – Published on October 29, 2024, this novel follows Dustin Henderson in the fall of 1985 (between the events of the third and fourth seasons). It depicts Dustin's freshman year in high school, a science competition road trip, and his adventures with new friends (including Eddie) as he copes with changes in Hawkins. Stranger Things: Starcourt Mall Escape (2025), a novel by Jennifer Brody which expands on Eleven and Max's story arc in the third season. Stranger Things: One Way or Another: A Nancy Wheeler Mystery by Caitlin Schneiderhan – Published on December 2, 2025, this novel is set two months after the events of the fourth season, focusing on Nancy and Robin investigating corruption in Hawkins.
For younger readers, Netflix Publishing has also published "junior novelizations" of the first and second seasons, alongside the full scripts for those respective seasons on July 8 and September 9, 2025.