We all know how Stranger Things season four breakout Eddie Munson meets his end: heroically facing beasties in the Upside Down while powered by tasty riffs. But how did Eddie, who was played by Joseph Quinn in the hit Netflix series, get to be so rad in the first place? A new tie-in novel will reveal all.
Entertainment Weekly has revealed the cover and synopsis for Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus by Caitlin Schneiderhan. The author is part of Stranger Things season five’s writers’ room and describes Flight of Icarus as a lens into seeing Eddie become “the brave misfit we all know and love.” The book is set in 1984 — Stranger Things’ fourth season was set in 1986; for context, its first season was 1983 — and will be out October 31.
The Stranger Things writers’ room Twitter shared the cover with some praise for their cohort:
Our very own Caitlin Schneiderhan wrote this!!! (Fun fact: she is also responsible for starting this account). Cannot wait for you to read! https://t.co/2dIS0Sw7SG
— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) April 13, 2023
Here’s the synopsis as revealed by EW:
Hawkins, Indiana — for most, it’s simply another idyllic, manicured all-American town. But for Eddie Munson it’s like living in a perpetual Tomb of Horrors. Luckily, he only has a few more months to survive at Hawkins High. And what is senior year, really, but just killing time between Dungeons & Dragons sessions with the Hellfire Club and gigs with his band?
It’s at the worst dive bar in town that Eddie meets Paige, someone who has pulled off a freaking miracle. She escaped Hawkins and built a wickedly cool life for herself working for a record producer out in Los Angeles. Not only is she the definition of a badass — with a killer taste in music — she might be the only person that actually appreciates him as the bard he is instead of the devil incarnate. But the best thing? She’s offering a chance for him to make something of himself, and all he needs is to get her a demo tape of Corroded Coffin’s best songs.
Just one problem: Recording costs money. Money Eddie doesn’t have. But he’s willing to do whatever it takes: even if that means relying on his old man, Al Munson. His dad just stumbled back into his life, with another dubious scheme up his sleeve, and yet Eddie knows this is his only option to make enough dough in enough time. It’s a risk, but if it pays off he will finally have a one-way ticket out of Hawkins.
Eddie can feel it: 1984 is going to be his year.
The cover may suggest Eddie in all his “fighting Vecna with the power of metal” glory, but it looks like the book will be more about Eddie’s own character-building experiences than it will involve anything supernatural. (That said, the music biz surely contains its own breed of nightmares.) Also, we of course know that escaping Hawkins wasn’t in the cards for Eddie… in 1984, or ever, thanks to the events of season four.
Still, it looks like a fun read — how can it not be, with the charismatic Mr. Munson at its centre? Eddie might be a one-season Stranger Things wonder, but Quinn was recently cast in A Quiet Place: Day One opposite Lupita Nyong’o, so he clearly hasn’t been scared away from the horror genre.