#stranger things lore

[buckley-is-hotter]

The lore I make for the stranger things parents is so fun. Like what do you mean the Sinclairs aren’t t4t who never got to be openly out but privately affirmed e/o, what do you mean Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers weren’t bi icons that were best friends, what do you mean that Wayne Munson ISN’T their age and painfully in love with Mr. Harrington while Jim Hopper is painfully in love with him (Wayne), what do you mean Karen and Ted weren’t the off/on toxic again couple in high school as Karen is lowkey a raging lesbian, wym Mr. Harrington wasn’t the nastiest bully you ever met while his wife was the schools it girl who everyone wanted but couldn’t have.

This way of thinking is not for the weak. 😥 Nobody can stop me, I AM WRITING.

[cypherheartnokey]

You know I love this theory!!! Definitely think SOMETHING like this is going on. Amazing post as always!!! @greenfiend

———

… However. Still. If you’ll allow me… I can’t help but always be left with this annoying BUG in my mind, nagging me & forcing me to ask more questions.

What I am talking about is this:

-> In the TFS documentary, Kate Trefry (one of the main ST writers) explicitly says:

“This is science fiction, NOT fantasy.”

This is science fiction. NOT fantasy.

To me, this unequivocally indicates that a “it was all a dream/fantasy”-type ending—in the merely figurative/abstract/narrative sense—is something completely out of the question.

In other words, I think it’s absolutely impossible that this “narrative framing” / “split reality” thing is not caused by a scientific explanation—it HAS to be, as is the rule within science fiction.

The ‘stories within stories’ HAVE to:

-> exist within the universe of the Stranger Things story;

-> be canon;

-> be REAL—as opposed to imagined or fictionalized within the story universe itself.

———

My current belief is that there are multiple worlds/universes/timelines/realities going on (as hinted at in the show consistently).

I believe the reveals are happening this way:

SEASON 1

Phase #1 — Will died?

Phase #2 — Oh wait, he actually… didn’t?

SEASON 5

Phase #1 — OMG Will REALLY died originally!!! The show we’ve been watching is a fabricated reality created by someone.

Phase #2 — Wait, but now this fabricated reality (where Will is alive) is getting out of control & causing more damage in different ways. In an attempt to solve this, Will dies “again” (as in, at his current age during s5). Show ends. Tragic story. Bittersweet. Everyone is devastated by the Byler Shakespearean love story.

Phase #3 — They… plant an unexpected surprise on us. My guess is the last episode, or some previously unannounced extra footage/episode/short after the epilogue. At the last minute (a la Mike Wheeler), this story is changed. Somehow, even though he’s late—he buys time. And he finds a way to fix it. Mike & Will find a way to be together again.

This ^ is my current prediction of events.

———

What I am very unsure about though, is the scientific mythos behind how this would be possible.

My current theory goes like this:

BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO

Brain-Reality-affecting (manifestation-capable) alien virus hits the earth.

1940s (?) — according to TFS lore or whatever

Alien virus is discovered by human scientists & starts being used in experiments, maybe even on human subjects.

1970s

Will is *somehow* exposed to & infected with the alien virus.

1970s/80s

Infected Will suffers the effects: his psyche starts influencing the (meta)physical reality around him.

What this means is that he unknowingly starts influencing/altering/creating/erasing all sorts of Stranger Things: events, cycles, vibes, people, memories, weather, geography, locations, dimensions, otherworldly creatures.

Basically, EVERYTHING that reality is comprised of.

SEASON 5 (1987–?)

Maybe, & this is a very shot-in-the-dark MAYBE.

We know that Will knows Mike very well. Mike is highly intelligent, an exceptional “code-breaker” & deeply in love with Will.

So Will trusts Mike with a final challenge.

Before dying, Will leaves behind some kind of secret & unexpected artifact/trick/sign/message/code embedded with a part of his alien acquired power.

Because Mike never gave up on his love, he ends up finding this sign (unlike others, who ignored it) & harnessing it to give his above-mentioned final chosen “fix” to their story.

This weird theme was actually hinted at (in a pretty bizarre & cryptic way) in the ‘Hawkins Horrors’ book’s final horror tale—which just so happens to be the story told by Mike. 👀

A Teddy Bear come-to-life 🧸, a Church ⛪️ & a Bridge 🌉 are also involved…

———

Now… How does all of this happen? What are the additional consequences of the virus? How does Will manage a final coming-back-to-life? How do they fix the virus mess? Do they even fix it? Is its spread the narrative/mythological foundation towards future Stranger Things spin-offs?

I have no idea. This is what’s frying my brain.

As evidenced above, I’m a hardcore believer in—sci-fi supported—Manifestation Theory.

But the entire concept seems so incredibly complicated to grasp (& pull off) that I feel I don’t have the necessary capacity or knowledge to be able to predict or figure out the logic of it (if there is even any—S3 Lucas: “Emotion, not logic”).

After all, more often than not, logic is not our brain’s strong suit.

But maybe, it doesn’t always need to be.

The Show Itself is a Story within a Story

written by characters who exist beyond it

All roads lead to the library...

Why do I think this? What is the purpose of this twist? And most importantly… who is writing this story and why?

First off I’ll just say that I’m well aware this is an unpopular and highly controversial theory. That many say it invalids the story and would be an unsatisfying end. I understand perspectives like this. I won't be going into the arguments about whether or not this should be the ending, but rather I'm merely arguing that there is a high possibly of this actual being the ending. More specifically, the final 20 minutes of the show.

I’m well aware the writers have claimed that theories that “it was all a DnD game” are bogus. However, they have clearly lied to us many times to conceal spoilers. So, let’s try not pick and choose what they say is gospel, and what should be taken with a grain of salt.

Also, I will add that I have already made a theory post similar to this. Although I am likely wrong about many aspects of that theory, I do still agree with the general concept. This post is more of a basic summary of the framed narrative clues.

The Show Itself is Framed as a Novel

To put it very simply, the show is presented to us like a novel. Each episode is a chapter, each season a sequel, and when split they are in volumes.

Another Universe

Most of us have accepted the possibly of there being another universe beyond what we know. I agree with this. However, I believe that this universe we are seeing (the show) was created by characters within the other universe. Much like how Mike creates another universe whenever he DMs a campaign...

The world where none of this tragic stuff ever happened? Well, it definitely does exist... but... it's not "out there". Instead, that's the story we know within the show. The story that likely has a gay ending (both meanings of the word).

In other words, the story we are shown is the "watered down" story.

Finishing the Story and Changing the Ending

If you read the comics, you will find a blatant reoccurring theme of writing stories, and finishing said stories. While the comics are not necessarily canon, they remind us of the important themes of this show.

In The First Shadow play, we are reminded again of the concept of writing our own stories, and more specifically…. Changing the ending. Making the ending happy and gay.

We even had a leak reveal that El apparently says “they don’t get to write the ending, but we do.”

We also had an entire Stranger Things novel written in the format of a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book, where we, essentially, choose the ending for the characters.

This is a reoccurring concept within and beyond the show for a reason.

Frame Narratives

Within the show, we are frequently reminded of the concept of framed narratives. It is, essentially, a story within a story. Basically, there are at least two stories: the story that is the painting, and the story that exists within the frame of said painting.

The First Shadow play itself is a framed narrative, as it is a play within a play. They perform the play “Dark of the Moon” within the play itself.

We are also introduced to the concept of “memories within memories” which is a literal track on the ST4 soundtrack.

Why This Concept Fits the Themes

As most of us know, a major theme within the show is the concept of free will vs. determinism. Are we all prisoners of fate, or do we have any agency over our lives?

This theme would extend to the characters written within a novel. The author is their “God” or rather the “Puppet-master”. Perhaps the characters will take on a life of their own and persuade the author to change their ending to a happier one?

Who is Writing the Story?

This answer is simple. Which main character is a writer? Mike. He is “the heart” of the story. However, Will likely helped bring the story to life with his art.

Even way back when pitching the show as “Montauk” the writers slipped in clues within the character descriptions.

All these four boy dealt with bullying, however, only two of them utilized fantasy and imagination to “escape”/“retreat” from their lives and insecurities. Mike and Will.

Why Are They Writing the Story?

*Sign* Okay here is the difficult part to explain… the unpleasant stuff. Everyone hates this I know. Please put the pitchforks down.

Let’s go over some of the previous stuff I’ve mentioned.

A universe where none of this tragic stuff ever happened

A watered down story

Changing the ending to a happy/gay one

These all imply that the universe that exists beyond the show... is a tragic one.

To make this abundantly clear: the main story's conclusion is a happy one! However, the reason why it exists in the first place is because it was created in a universe/story with a tragic ending.

This story exists so the ending can be altered. This is the point.

So What is the Story Beyond this Story?

I... don't know exactly. But I have some ideas.

The main idea I have is that: Will passed away... for real. And he left behind his art which Mike cherishes.

Mike created this story for Will to change his ending and utilized his art as inspiration. He also utilized science as a way to explain the supernatural concepts we see.

Why do I think this? Many reasons. For one, Mike appears to constantly be battling grief throughout the show. Shifting from denial, bargaining, depression, anger but never quite reaching acceptance. He also frequently expresses his fear of losing people: mainly Will and El. PLUS, we have many references to stabbing hearts, broken hearts... and Mike himself is referred to as "The Heart". His heart is broken and ridden with grief because he actually did lose Will.

I have also previously analyzed the many letters shown within ST and how they are associated with... death, as well as a watered down story.

This all leads to...

(Yes I am plagiarizing myself here. lol.)

Now before I breakdown what I believe fits into these blanks, I want to clear up a couple of things that have been brought up before:

“This letter was just revealed to be a letter from the ST writers to us fans during ST day years ago.” Yes that is true. However, I doubt they would just post it like this if that’s all it meant. That’s pretty lame to be honest. We know they love to be vague and cryptic with their clues of what’s to come in the show, why wouldn’t they be doing that here as well? Plus this letter fits perfectly with the set up I just described. Perfectly. I’ll explain that soon.

“This is… not about a couple”. It isn't. Simply because only one of them is alive at this time...........

Now let’s properly break down the letter.

“anyway I think you’ll ____ sorry I couldn’t get it done ____”

These lines imply that the writer of the letter attached something to it. The writer likely thinks the recipient will like whatever they attached.

The writer then apologizes about something. The wording makes it seem like they’re apologizing about not completing whatever is attached on time. If time is what they’re apologizing for, this is likely Mike writing this. Mike has been associated with running late many times throughout the show.

This is my guess: “anyway I think you’ll like [the ending]. sorry I couldn’t get it done [on time]”

The next part is easy and was confirmed by the writers:

“but you mean so [much to me]”

Obviously whoever wrote this letter cares deeply about the recipient.

“and it’s been [so hard being without you]”

I guessed this part. The writer is making an excuse as to why they weren’t able to complete something on time. It makes sense that the writer was struggling from being away from the recipient and thus that was the excuse for the delay. This would make even more sense if the writer was struggling with grieving the recipient.

“hope this is [enough to] last until [we meet again]. Love, [Mike].”

The “enough to” was simple enough to complete, not much else can fit in that context.

I guessed the “we meet again” because it's fitting. It also implies Mike will reunite with Will in death. Blue meeting Yellow in "the west" (where the sun sets).

Now, the date “November 6, 1983” is there because…

The attachment is the complete story of the entire show, beginning on that very specific date. The book attached to the letter, or the “book of letters” if you will. Mike wrote the story, or rather finished the story for Will. He couldn’t “get it done on time” because Will likely passed on prior to the completion of the story. He wrote the story, which is the “watered down” version of the true horrors he and Will experienced, and others too. The story was written so he and Will could survive everything in the end and become heroes forever and ever.

[smalltownrobin]

Something so painful about Robin's coming out scene is when she says, "if he did know her, like really know her, I don't think he'd even want to be her friend."

She doesn't word her rejection like ‘I don’t like you because I like girls’, she words it as ‘you won’t like me because I like girls’.

She was so prepared to lose Steve's friendship, even after everything they'd been through together, not because she didn't like him in the way he did her and was about to make things uncomfortable between them, but purely because her queerness could erase their entire friendship in an instant.

[fuctacles]

Steve Harrington's dyslexic ass showing up to Eddie Munson's Exorcising 101 in gym shorts.

[gayofthefae]

My immediate thought with the scar was actually that it looks very similar to Brenner's

Just in the simplicity and placement

matt duffer's pinterest ???

warning: potential spoilers for st5! proceed at your own risk

so this person on twitter apparently found matt duffer's pinterest account, which, if real, poses some SUPER interesting information about st5.

a list created 1 year ago with pins similar to what vecna's mindscapes look like titled "max world"?

a list created 1 year ago titled "st spinoff" with various vintage/50s inspired towns?

not to mention all these lists...

i am highly suspicious of the authenticity of this account because i doubt matt duffer would spoil some elements of st5 on a pinterest account literally called 'matt duffer' that is easily available to everyone and is super easy to find, but then again.... this account has been running actively for at least four years. i doubt someone wanting to impersonate him would keep the gag running that long. (that, and, it has taken a while to find this account. i think an impersonator would give up the shtick after they realize this is reaching virtually no one)

i think i have some evidence to back up that this is actually matt duffer though.

in 2020, around the time when they would have been starting production on st4, the account made this list called 'scar'

i have a feeling this could have been matt visualizing scars on fred, or maybe even victor creel. fred has a scar that travels along his left cheek, though it's not as dramatic as these pins.

could be victor because of the one with the eye though.

another pinterest account, michael maher jr, was also featured as a collaborator on some of these lists (the account follows matt duffer's as well) and has some interesting lists as well. i think it's worth noting that this guy is literally an emmy nominated concept artist that has worked with stranger things before. this is his official instagram, if you'd like to check it out.

i don't really want to delve into this guy's account because these lists could contain some inspo for other projects that he's doing but you're welcome to view it on your own.

this just begs the question: why would an impersonator go all these lengths to impersonate a concept artist ON TOP of matt duffer and run it consistently for four years?? it seems like too much work.

obviously, take everything you see here with a grain of salt. this could also very well be matt duffer trolling with us. but i think it's worth checking out!!!!

edit: please do not take this super seriously, he has harringrove saved on one of the boards lol

[libraryofgage]

Steddie brainrot continues to worsen to a concerning degree but here's a crack idea that is absolutely sending me:

Famous Spicy Six in which Jonathon is a director who decides to work on a passion project: a Scooby-Doo movie. His ideal cast is as follows:

Nancy Wheeler (investigative journalist with a few special appearances on crime dramas) as Daphne Blake

Argyle (an actor with a habit of playing small parts; he acts only because he thinks it's fun, so he's not concerned with significant roles) as Shaggy Rogers

Robin Buckley (a well-known voice actor who is more well-known for her social media posts and clap-backs) as Velma Dinkley

Steve Harrington (basketball star who is also more well-known for his social media clap-backs and for being Corroded Coffin's number one fan) as Fred Jones

Eddie Munson (frontman for Corroded Coffin, an insanely popular metal/punk/rock band and "infamous" for unashamedly posting Steve Harrington thirst tweets) as the voice of Scooby-Doo

Corroded Coffin is also creating an entirely new, original soundtrack for the movie

And because I think it's funnier this way, this is also an AU where the Upside Down still happened, so Jonathon just calls his friends up and is like "Okay, so hear me out"

The absolute insanity that breaks out when both the movie and cast are announced because nobody can figure out how Jonathon managed to convince all these powerhouses to join his movie.

The further screaming online after one of the movie promo interviews where a reporter asks how they all agreed to the movie and Nancy hits them with, "Well, Jonathon asked, and he never asks for anything."

Which leads to the discovery that they all knew each other in high school, and the reporter jokingly asks if that means they've all dated each other, too, which leads to Eddie jumping in with absolute delight like, "Well, that's a funny story, there. See, Stevie here dated Nancy, who then dated Jonathon when they broke up, who then dated Argyle after they broke up. And I thought Stevie and Robin were dating, so I was very confused when I saw Robin and Nancy kissing. But then I found out that Robin was a true-blue lesbian, which meant Stevie here was open for the taking, and we've been banging ever since."

and Steve is just sitting there, head in his hands while Robin cackles and decides to tell the reporter all about Steve's "fuck I have a crush on Eddie" crisis

This interview, of course, leads to even more freaking out online and comments like "I know I asked for poly Scooby gang, but this is ridiculous," and "I can't believe that in this, the year of our lord 20xx, ScoobyXFreddy became a canon ship," and "if I had a nickel for every romantic relationship the Scooby gang actors have had with each other, I'd have five nickels, which is way more than any of us fucking expected to have," and "suddenly Eddie Munson's thirst tweets make a lot more sense, but can we talk about Steve Harrington's CC tweets now," and "everyone say thank you to Eddie Munson for revealing that mess of a relationship map," and "finally, the canon lesbian velma and daphne we deserve"

The movie is a box office hit, btw, and bloopers from filming roll with the credits, among which is Eddie Munson making Steve Harrington lose his shit laughing on set while dressed in a Scooby Doo onesie and singing Corroded Coffin songs with his Scooby Voice

[belokhvostikova]

Eddie Munson is very much a “look, it’s us,” person, but it’s literally just two cigarette butts discarded on the ground.

[taeiris]

stuck in time

close ups⬇️

[spideywillandmjwheeler]

older spidey will and mj wheeler from the third arc of the narrative

[cypherheartnokey]

Good catch! Was not very aware of the plutonium references, thank you for that! I’d also been suspecting that green s3 liquid for a while.

I want to add another substance-related aspect that always leaves me wondering:

The liquid Brenner & Owens inject into Eleven during s4 NINA, right before she goes into the sensory deprivation tank with her brain connected to the machine.

It’s a yellowy-brownish translucent color if I remember correctly.

What the hell is that substance? What is it doing to Eleven? They never mention or explain it.

And now that I’m talking about this, what the hell is NINA? And all those tapes with inconsistencies that Brenner keeps organized in a storeroom?

NINA machine 📟

inconsistent video tapes 📼

mysterious injected substance 💉

brain 🧠

How does the interaction between these 4 factors work out?

So much of the sci-fi origin & lore of Stranger Things is still completely unknown. We NEED to start working this out at a higher volume on #st theory.

The Plutonium Files

America's secret experiments during The Cold War...

Sooo... Will Byers is "Little Boy" the atomic bomb.

The moment Will "vanished", the bomb went off- causing a "nuclear fission" reaction (splitting atoms... Will "split" into two, creating El). This, in my opinion, created a "new world" aka the Upside Down (along with El and others becoming "real").

I keep thinking about how exactly Will's mind is possibly manifesting the horrors into reality... and I came across something interesting.

As we know, this show uses many real historical references... especially regarding aspects of The Cold War.

For those who don't know, The Manhattan Project was a major catalyst to The Cold War. It consisted of many top scientists creating the very first atomic bomb. "Little Boy" was the first one used in war, the one that dropped on Hiroshima... it changed history and the world as we know it.

In the creation of the atomic bomb, tests were done on unsuspecting humans. They were, unknowingly, injected with plutonium... a man made radioactive element. This was done even to pregnant women. So, these women were literally "pregnant with an explosive device" pretty much.

The experiments began in 1945, when Manhattan Project scientists were preparing to detonate the first atomic bomb. Radiation was known to be dangerous and the experiments were designed to ascertain the detailed effect of radiation on human health. Most of the subjects, Welsome says, were poor, powerless, and sick. x

("Holy mother of God" = Joyce... pregnant with an explosive device: Will)

So... where am I getting at with this? Well, Plutonium is often used in fiction, specifically in superhero comics. This radioactive element is often used to explain the creation of superpowers!

Plutonium was also used to make time travel possible in Back to the Future...

[zeeth-scribbles]

back on my bullshit. the guy who is two guys

[paintedpatroclus]

eddie and winnie circa 1990

(steddie kid steddie kid steddie kid!)

[steviesbicrisis]

I saw someone complain that Steve has no lore and that he's in stranger things mostly as comic relief despite having so much trauma that never gets addressed and I immediately took offense to these because heyyy!!! what about his nightmares?? the migraines??? he can't swim in his pool because of Barb!!! and no lore??? he's our bisexual himbo abandoned by his parents, terrible dad, who's trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life while working on his personal issues! he has so many layers!!!

... then I realized we all collectively did that, nothing I thought about was canon 🧍‍♂️

[shushmal]

you ask for ficlet prompts, and a prompt you shall receive:

merman Steve please and thank you 🙏

blows you a kiss, i would do anything for you also im mixing a lot of lore here im so sorry

He grew up lonely. Nereides live solitary lives mostly, only gathering when called, when there is need. He spent many years roaming and exploring deep oceans, only seeing his kind in passing moments of trade and exchange. It is a very lonely life, and he never understands why he was so different from the resst, when all of his kind are perfectly happy in their solitude.

The ocean is vast, and there aren't many nereides in this part of the world. But there are a lot of humans—humans who are never alone, he finds, always accompanied by others in their boats and their swims.

He loves to watch them. They are fascinating, these land people who throw themselves into the ocean with excitement and joy and curiosity. He watches from a distance, filled with longing and envy, as these creatures leave the safety of their home to touch the sea.

It's how he finds Dustin, as its little body struggles as a rip tide pulls it from the shores. He knows he shouldn't, knows how dangerous humans are, but still, he rushes to it as the tiny thing wanes, stills, and brings it to the surface.

They float there together, the human and the nereid, just above the water, the human gasping for breath, trembling against him, until finally it speaks. Or screeches really. "HOLY SHIT!"

He doesn't understand the words, but he understands the meaning. "Holy shit," he says back to the human, because he's kind of feeling the same way.

The human begins to babble a whole lot of other things, and he has no idea what any of it means. He knows a little of human speech, things overheard, but he knows none of these words. This goes on for a long time, the two of them floating in the water alone, until finally the human points at itself and says, "Dustin."

"Dustin," he repeats.

"Dustin!" the human says again, gesturing at itself.

Ah, this is a Dustin. "Dustin," he says, agreeing, and uses his free hand to pat the human's head. Dustin then points, its little finger wagging in his face.

"You?"

"You?"

The Dustin says something again, but he doesn't understand it, distracted by a human boat shooting across the water towards them now. The Dustin is saying a lot of things still, but it's quickly approaching.

"Good-bye," he says to the Dustin, hoping that's the correct word. He ducks under the water and releases it, waiting a moment to make sure it floats, before darting back into the depths—only so far as to not be seen from the surface, even when the little human sticks its head underwater and looks around. Soon, the boat is beside it, and the Dustin is pulled from the sea.

He tries not to be sad about it. Dustin was wiggly and warm, and it was nice to hear it talk so loudly and so much. Nereides rarely speak like humans do, and he wishes that Dustin could teach him a few more of his words.

"Holy shit," he says, alone in the water, and decides to come back again tomorrow. Maybe he can see Dustin again.

[great-k1ng-rat]

Steve Harrington wants to be cared about too desperately for his parents to be good people.

[milarepas]

good morning