The world of Stranger Things is expanding into novels, comics and more!

Stranger Things fans are impatiently waiting for the next and final season of Netflix’s smash hit to be released, so that they can finally get to experience more Stranger Things. Of course, the release date has yet to be announced, and it is likely still a long ways away.

Fans are desperately trying to get any new piece of Stranger Things information they can find. But for the fan who just can’t wait anymore, fortunately, there are plenty of Stranger Things stories to explore while you wait.

While Stranger Things is best known as a TV show, an entire world has been developed around the franchise. It’s broken out into several different mediums to give you a chance to find out even more about the world of Stranger Things.

Novels

Six (so far), different novels have been published that help to expand the world of Stranger Things. Each of the novels tends to focus on a different character and what they’re going through during a time not covered by the show.

Most of the novels are prequels, with one taking place before the events of the first season, and others telling the stories of specific characters (like Robin or Max) before they were introduced on the show. The latest book focuses on Lucas in between seasons three and four, and helps to fill in how he ended up where he was at the beginning of the fourth season.

These books are careful not to contradict anything from the show and are obviously not going to hold vital information, as most fans of the series only watch the show. However, they do allow fans looking for more time with their favorite characters, to really delve into some of the stories that would otherwise never be explored.

Comics

Dark Horse comics has partnered with Netflix to tell additional stories set in the world of Stranger Things. Like the novels, the comics don’t contain any critical information about the events that happen in the series.

But they do provide more backstory to help create a richer text for the world as a whole. For the most part, the comics are divided up into miniseries, with each collection of issues telling a different story. The first miniseries retells the events of the first season, but from Will’s perspective while he’s trapped in the Upside Down.

Some of the other miniseries focus on other children who were raised in the lab setting alongside Eleven.

Video games

Two different video games have been released that are set in the world of Stranger Things. The first one is set after the events of the first season, letting you explore the town of Hawkins.

The second game (called Stranger Things 3), is based on the events of the third season. The game makers worked with the Duffer Brothers, who created Stranger Things, to be able to expand on story elements in the game that weren’t as heavily explored in the show.

Both games were mobile games but are free to play through a Netflix account. They are a part of Netflix’s push to get into developing video games, along with original movies and TV shows.

Stage Play

As Stranger Things continues to work its way into every conceivable medium, an official stage play is currently in the works, set to have its first performance later this year. The play, called Stranger Things: The First Shadow, is a prequel to the series.

Set in 1959, the story focuses on younger versions of Hopper and Joyce exploring their past. The play will have its first showing in London but will likely tour throughout the world given the success everything else related to Stranger Things has received.

And Beyond…

Of course that’s just the beginning to the ever-expanding world of Stranger Things. In addition to the fifth and final season of the show, there is also at least one spinoff series in the works, as well as an animated series.

There is also another video game in development for PlayStation VR, and there are plenty more books and comics in development as well. While we don’t know where the next season of Stranger Things will take us, you can bet that there will still be plenty of Hawkins to explore over the next few years whenever you need to scratch that Stranger Things itch.

How excited are you for the fifth and final season of Stranger Things? Let us know in the comments below!