Culture Cabinet

With the release of Stranger Things’ fourth season last year came an unexpected second phenomenon: the phenomena of Eddie Munson. With every autotuned song on TikTok, Metallica reference, and Hellfire Club tee, Eddie Munson became a pop culture cornerstone of 2022. Exasperated, of course, by the character’s untimely death at the end of the season, which saw an outpour of tributes and paying of respects from mourning fans worldwide. Eddie’s death struck a nerve in a number of different ways.

Season four of Stranger Things had maybe the most amount of plot lines out of any season, which didn’t leave a lot of time to get into Eddie’s story beyond his link to being the first to witness a Vecna attack, and the subsequent witch hunt he faces when the entire town of Hawkins accuses him of Chrissy’s murder. While Joseph Quinn’s performance of the misunderstood metalhead charmed the audience, Eddie’s death left a lack of resolution. What was Eddie’s story? Where was he during the storylines of previous seasons? Was he merely destined to play Metallica in the Upside Down and die a hero’s death, wrongly accused of murder? 

Caitlin Schneiderhan’s new book, Flight of Icarus, answers all these questions. 

Set in 1984 Hawkins, Flight of Icarus- a clever dual title, paying tribute to the myth of Icarus and the song of the same name by Iron Maiden, a band canonically loved by Eddie- finds the beloved dungeon master in the middle of his (first) senior year. When Paige, a junior talent scout for a record label in Hollywood and Hawkins High alum, stumbles upon a local performance of Corroded Coffin, Eddie’s band mentioned in the series, she makes Eddie a mutually beneficial offer. In return for the chance to prove herself to the label she works for, she’ll grant Corroded Coffin their big break, encouraging Eddie to proceed with recording a demo. As Eddie struggles to get the funding for his demo, his father, Al, returns to Hawkins and attempts to recruit Eddie in his latest scheme. Torn between his desire for a ticket out of Hawkins and his hesitation to getting involved in his father’s crimes, Eddie decides to help his father out, in hopes that he may be able to help him pull it off for once. 

Flight of Icarus is at its best when it’s providing the reader with what they likely want most: their questions about Eddie answered. The book provides a healthy dose of backstory for Eddie, covering everything from his childhood to how he ended up living with his Uncle Wayne. While Eddie is the only prominent character from the series featured in the story, with characters such as Chrissy Cunningham and Gareth from the Hellfire Club making an appearance, the original characters fit seamlessly within the story. Among these include Eddie’s best friend, Ronnie, who is not in the series, but she serves as a good counterpart. It leaves one wondering if Ronnie ever found out what happened to Eddie. While Eddie and Paige’s chemistry doesn’t always translate on the page, Paige is an interesting character within herself, and her no-nonsense and sarcastic demeanor plays well with Eddie’s signature snark. 

Eddie’s father, Al Munson, who is only mentioned in passing in the series when Eddie swears he’d never “wind up like he did,” is a far more compelling character than expected. Anyone familiar with season four is aware that Eddie’s father is a criminal. In the year since the season’s release, fans have speculated a number of theories around Eddie’s father. The easy move would have been to make Al an abrasive, if not abusive force. But there’s a level of charm to Al that even Eddie can not deny. While he constantly lets Eddie down, and it’s indicated that he’s done so for his entire life, there’s an ever-apparent sense that Eddie secretly craves validation from his father regardless. As the story progresses, you get the sense that Eddie is going along with Al’s most recent scheme not just out of desperation for funds, but out of desperation for just one time where his father won’t let him down. Their dynamic is a testament to Schneiderhan’s talent for complex character development. 

The story is interesting and well-paced, deftly weaving between flashbacks of Eddie’s youth, Eddie’s schemes with his father, and Corroded Coffin’s quest to getting a record deal. It’s a lot to cover in a mere 272 pages, but Schneiderhan manages to pull it off in such a way that will leave the reader gripped to the book from go, but still satisfied in the end. 

However, the best part of Flight of Icarus is its ability to pin point exactly what makes Eddie so compelling as a character. The book is dedicated to “all the little lost sheep and the people who give them a place to belong.” While it has arguably gotten lost in the memes and commercialization, Eddie Munson initially resonated with audiences so deeply because he represented a side to oneself that many could relate to. Eddie remains true to himself in a world that constantly tells him that he is not enough. In the book alone, he is haunted by the voices of the outside world telling him that he will not amount to anything.

Yet, much like in the series, every person who takes the time to get to know Eddie can’t help but fall a bit in love with his sincerity. The anecdotes of his childhood drive home that Eddie is the way he is because of his circumstances, which makes his ability to at least try to make the best of things all the more admirable. And, above all, it’s ever apparent that Eddie is the kind of person who seeks to create a space of belonging for those who feel outcasted, who’s never afraid to stand up to a bully. 

And that is where Flight of Icarus excels at its core. It serves as a reminder that fighting for the underdog and seeking inclusion for others is more heroic than fighting a swarm of demobats.