The '80s, 'D&D' And Pre-Tech Nostalgia Return In 'Stranger Things'

Why is "Stranger Things," the original Netflix sci-fi series full of 1980s nostalgia, synthesized music, kids on bikes and "Dungeons & Dragons," so popular? How do the references to other 1980s films influence the reception of the TV series? I appeared on WBUR's Radio Boston to discuss. Listen to the archived show here.

The seductive nostalgia of “Stranger Things”

Over at Salon, I wrote a piece called "Just like ’80s nerd heaven: The seductive nostalgia of “Stranger Things” — and my unexpected ambivalence" that explore how Netflix's supernatural show raids my childhood pop-culture loves, from D&D to E.T. — and I admit, I felt conflicted.