The Big Picture

Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus delves into Eddie Munson’s backstory, revealing the highs and lows of the beloved character. The novel introduces new characters and expands on existing ones, including Eddie’s friends, family, and love interests. Written in first person, the book captures Eddie’s nerdy charm and reads like an epic Dungeons & Dragons campaign, with nods to the game throughout.

When Stranger Things Season 4 hit Netflix last year, little did we know that the king freak of Hawkins High was about to steal all of our hearts and become one of the most beloved characters in the entire series. Now, Eddie Munson, played by Joseph Quinn in the series, is about to get a whole novel on his backstory with Caitlin Schneiderhan’s Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus. Eddie earned the hearts of fans when he first appeared in the series last year as the outcast dungeon master Hellfire Club, becoming a mentor for Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) in particular. Season 4 sent the town of Hawkins on a witch hunt for Eddie after he became suspect number one in the murder of Chrissy Cunningham (Grace Van Dien). Though Eddie died a hero, helping The Party defend their town from an otherworldly evil, the rest of Hawkins wrote him off a long time ago.

Now, Schneiderhan is set to take fans back to Eddie’s first attempt at senior year at Hawkins High, detailing some of the biggest highs and lows of everyone’s favorite dungeon master turned hometown hero. Schneiderhan has been a part of the Stranger Things crew since Season 2, and she joined the show’s writing staff for Season 4, making her the perfect scribe to dig into Eddie Munson’s backstory. Flight of Icarus follows Eddie at a time when all the disparate strands of his life converge for an epic heist that will ultimately set him on the path to becoming the guy we fell in love with on screen.

‘Flight of Icarus’ Introduces Fresh Faces to the ‘Stranger Things’ Universe
Image via Netflix

With the story centering around Eddie, Flight of Icarus introduces several new characters, some of whom we’ll see in other Stranger Things properties, and some of whom we may never see on screen. The book also fleshes out a couple of Eddie’s hellfire buddies that can be spotted in Season 4, namely Jeff and Gareth, both seasoned DND players by the time Mike, Dustin, and Lucas join the party, but fairly green when we meet them in this story. We also get our first in-depth look at Al Munson, Eddie’s dad, before he’s set to appear in the upcoming Stranger Things play The First Shadow, opening in London’s West End next month, as well as a few sweet moments with Eddie’s true caregiver, his uncle Wayne. Further, Flight of Icarus explains the origin of Eddie’s relationship with Reefer Rick and introduces the local stoner as one of the chillest people in this weird little town.

In addition to these vaguely familiar faces, Flight of Icarus introduces a couple of other key players in Eddie’s life. In the first pages of the book, we meet Eddie’s best pal Veronica “Ronnie” Ecker. Their relationship will likely remind fans of the connection between one of the show’s best duos as shares several parallels with the connection between Steve (Joe Keery) and Robin (Maya Hawke). Much like Steve and Robin, Eddie once believed that Ronnie might be the girl for him, though a similar, if slightly more ambiguous confession from Ronnie puts them firmly in the platonic soulmates category. Ronnie is easily one of the best new additions to the universe, and she acts as the sort of voice of reason for Eddie, giving him the courage to just be himself.

Meanwhile, in a decidedly less platonic relationship, we also meet Paige, a former Hawkins High graduate just a year or two older than Eddie. Paige left Hawkins in the dust as soon as she graduated and works at a record label out in L.A. — she’s back in town for her grandmother’s funeral when she runs into Eddie at the hideout. If Ronnie is “true neutral” for Eddie, Paige and Al sort of operate as the angel and devil perched on Eddie’s shoulders, both beckoning him into the kind of life that they each think he might fit into — with a little work.

‘Flight of Icarus’ Reads Like an Epic DND Campaign
Image via Netflix

Much like previous Stranger Things books like Rebel Robin, Runaway Max, and Lucas on the Line, Flight of Icarus, is written in first person from Eddie’s point of view, putting readers right in his shoes for an adventure that doesn’t need a Demogorgon encounter to get your heart pounding. Hellfire Club is a cornerstone, both of the story and of Eddie’s personality, and any moment throughout the novel when Eddie is leaning into his nerdy tendencies he instantly becomes even more likable than he is in general. As he walks a DND newcomer through character creation, you can’t help but realize that Eddie is a chaotic good bard, just trying to look out for the little guy while he indulges in the finer pleasures in life like 80s rock music, pretty girls, and the power of storytelling.

Stranger Things seasons often play out similarly to a DND campaign, with the narrative arc typically leading to an epic combat at the end of the season. In Flight of Icarus, DND players will be able to recognize moments in which Eddie clearly rolls a Nat 20 in his actual life, getting away with stealth and charisma checks that he’d otherwise fail without a little luck. Those familiar with the game may also be able to spot instances where Eddie casts Bardic Inspiration through his music or his Hellfire campaigns, and he even lands a bit of Vicious Mockery when taking on a number of bullies that haunt the halls of Hawkins High.

Though the story builds quite slowly at first, Flight of Icarus is the type of book that sneaks up on you. Somewhere around the halfway mark, you’ll find yourself unable to put it down as you hope that maybe, just this once, everything will work out for our favorite freak. And while Icarus — the Greek God who flew too close to the sun — is an apt comparison, it’s hardly all doom and gloom for Eddie Munson. Despite knowing Eddie’s gruesome fate at the end of Stranger Things Season 4, this story ends on a high note. In fact, this story only serves to make the loss of Eddie Munson that much harder, as it spotlights the good heart underneath all his chaos and bravado.

Key ‘Stranger Things’ Cameos Bring ‘Flight of Icarus’ to a Heartwarming Conclusion
Image Via Netflix

While most of the cameos from other beloved Stranger Things characters come towards the end of this novel, they’re crucial in helping it stick the landing and grounding the story in the universe that the series has established. Schneiderhan uses them sparingly so as not to step on any of the existing canon, but to weave Eddie into the fabric of Stranger Things long before his on-screen debut in Season 4. HellCheer fans will be delighted to know that Chrissy does make a brief appearance in the book. While she and Eddie don’t interact too much, preserving their re-meet-cute in “Hellfire Club,” Eddie isn’t the only one to have left a lasting impression at that middle school talent show.

The gruff but lovable Jim Hopper (David Harbour) also stops by for a few pages, adding a slight edge of gravitas to Eddie’s story. The way that Hopper treats Eddie when their worlds collide enriches both of their stories and strikes a common chord between two good men doing the best they can with the hand they’ve been dealt. Lastly, a run-in with the Byers brothers solidifies Eddie’s character and will have readers wishing for a version of Stranger Things where Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) got to join Hellfire Club along with his friends.

Despite its somewhat meandering start, Flight of Icarus sticks the landing and gives Eddie Munson a backstory worthy of the hero we all know him to be. The novel adds depth to Eddie’s story and gives fans even more reasons to love him. While there are no indications in the book about what audiences can expect for Season 5, fans will be hoping those DND-inspired theories come to fruition, just to bring this character back for one more epic adventure.

Rating: B+

Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus hits shelves this Halloween, October 31. You can pre-order your copy now.