Stranger Things Psychology: Life Upside Down

by Travis Langley

How do we navigate friendships to unite against bullying and its many forms?

What happens to missing persons’ families or those once lost upon their return?

Can games and fantasy help us connect with others and make sense of real life?

Monsters of the Upside Down, beware! Travis Langley (author of the acclaimed Batman and Psychology) returns with a group of expert contributors to explore these and other questions to shine a light on true human nature through the Netflix series and cultural phenomenon, Stranger Things.

When do feelings of grief, guilt, depression, fear, and isolation tear us down, and how do we transform them into hope, inspiration, forgiveness, acceptance, and motivation to do what’s right? Growing up is hard enough without metaphors for the dangers that lurk in life’s shadows springing to life in the form of monsters, villains, conspiracies, and enemy soldiers.

Stranger Things Psychology: Life Upside Down descends into the dark sides of adolescence to find the light on the other side of the ultimate coming-of-age story.

Genres: Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

Published February 21, 2023

About the author

Dr. Travis Langley, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Henderson State University, is best-known as the author of the acclaimed book BATMAN AND PSYCHOLOGY: A DARK AND STORMY KNIGHT. He is also editor and lead writer for the Popular Culture Psychology series of 12 books looking at the psychology of characters and stories such as THE WALKING DEAD PSYCHOLOGY: PSYCH OF THE LIVING DEAD, CAPTAIN AMERICA VS. IRON MAN: FREEDOM, SECURITY, PSYCHOLOGY, and most recently THE JOKER PSYCHOLOGY: EVIL CLOWNS AND THE WOMEN WHO LOVE THEM. PsychologyToday.com features his blog, “Beyond Heroes and Villains.” A popular speaker internationally, he has given talks at universities and has led or joined hundreds of convention panels (especially at Wizard World shows) and on the Comic Con-Fusion YouTube channel. He also happened to be an undefeated champion on the Wheel of Fortune game show. As Stan Lee described him, “This man is a genius!”

Reviews

[Steph Carr (LiteraryHypeWoman) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so much fun. Think psychology textbook, but all the examples are from a TV show and you get to explore themes/ concepts through characters.

[Hina Ansari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best in the series, but it was an interesting read. At one point, an essay referred to the Metallica song as puppets and masters, and I’m not sure if that was deliberate mistake or not.

[Becca Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy listening to the Pop Culture Psychology books because they fill a space that I miss from my time as an English major when I'd go to class each day to discuss and analyze stories in all different mediums. These books always allow me to think about shows and stories I enjoy on a deeper level in a way I don't usually get to as an adult. This was no exception and, while I don't think it gave me any groundbreaking ideas or analyses to think about, I enjoyed the whole audiobook.

[Sarah Packer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I assigned this as the textbook for a ST themed college English class I taught last year. We worked with 5 of the essays, but I just finished reading the rest of them for good measure. This collection is fantastic. It explores many themes from the show, some obvious, some subtle. It was instrumental in helping my students (and myself) look at a piece of popular media beyond just the value it holds on the surface.

[Regis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and informative, but a little too clinical for me. Robotic narration.

[Rebecca Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF- just a bit too stiff for me to keep going. Was expecting more humor.

[DeeDee · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5 stars**