Skip to main content

Matt and Ross Duffer, showrunners of the massively popular Stranger Things, take plenty of inspiration from horror master Stephen King. The brothers have always been upfront about their inspiration from his novels. However, just because you’re a Stranger Things fan, it doesn’t mean you’re a Stephen King fan, and that’s why we’re here. Here are all the Stephen King references you might have missed in the series.

The 'Stranger Things' logo, which Stephen King's novels served as inspiration.
‘Stranger Things’ | Netflix

‘Stranger Things’ Season 1 included references to ‘IT,’ ‘Firestarter,’ and More

Stranger Things Season 1 is probably the most captivating season simply because it was so unexpected when it premiered. The first season didn’t have a considerable amount of marketing and definitely more of a surprise hit. This season also leans the hardest into horror. (Of course, plenty of cast members say Stranger Things Season 4 is the scariest.) 

These are all the Stephen King references in Stranger Things Season 1:

  • IT – King’s terrifying novel about a killer clown gets the biggest hat tip with the overall vibe of season 1. A group of kids hunting down a monster in a small town? There couldn’t be a more prominent reference unless the Demogorgon donned some clown makeup and a red nose.
  • Firestarter – This novel tells the story of a telekinetic little girl with some secret government experiments peppered in to really spice things up. Sound familiar? Drew Barrymore starred in the movie adaptation along with John Heard, but it never got great reviews. Stick to the original format.
  • Needful Things – King is a master of creeping dread, and his novel about the devil running a knick-knack store delivers that feeling in spades. While the story itself isn’t referenced in Stranger Things Season 1, the fonts for both are almost an exact match.
  • The Body – Most people know this story by the name of its movie adaptation, Stand By Me. There are some pretty clear parallels between the group of young boys in both productions as they face bullies from this world and others.

‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 kept the Stephen King references rolling

Stephen King calls himself a fan of the Stranger Things series and even said watching the show was like “watching Stephen King’s greatest hits.” It’s no shock the Duffer Brothers continued to draw inspiration from his work.

In Stranger Things Season 2, they referenced the following:

  • Maine – This serves as more of a wink to King than anything else, but the horror author bases more of his stories in Maine because that’s where he lives. In Stranger Things Season 2, Bob Newby (Sean Astin) talks to Joyce (Winona Ryder) about moving to Maine.
  • IT – This time, the showrunners became more evident with their Easter eggs regarding the novel’s creepy clown, Pennywise. At one point, Bob gives Will (Noah Schnapp) advice on how to conquer the creature haunting him and tells him about his own childhood monster. It was a clown named Mr. Baldo. Close enough for us.
  • The Body – We admit it might seem like cheating to list the same novels twice but hear us out. In season 2, Dustin and Steve look for Dart and drop chunks of meat along the railroad tracks. It looks very similar to the scenes in Stand By Me as the boys search for the dead body by the railroad tracks.
Related

‘Girl Meets Farm’: Molly Yeh’s Pumpkin Pie With Whipped Cream and Cinnamon Tastes Like a Pumpkin Spice Latte

Season 3 lightens up a little on the Stephen King references

Several people believe Stranger Things Season 3 is the weakest of all the seasons because it comes across as an action movie instead of a sci-fi/horror series. While there are plenty of references to ‘80s pop culture like Indiana Jones and Rambo, the Duffer Brothers still manage to sneak in a King reference here and there.

  • Christine – The novel weaves the tale of a killer car, and eventually, the story made it onto the big screen. There’s a shot of Christine, the car, from a low angle in the movie adaptation. Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery), one of the human bullies Stranger Things Season 3 gave us, has a sports car. There’s also a similar show of Billy’s car. However, the only thing evil about that car was the driver.
  • The Shining – Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of a psychotic man trying to kill his family in The Shining is referenced in many horror productions. It’s no surprise the Duffer Brothers took some tips from The Shining. When Billy bashes his head through the sauna door to grab Max, it takes everything in us not to yell, “Here’s Johnny!”

Stranger Things Season 4 has a summer of 2022 release date, but it looks like the King inspiration continues. Some fans even wonder if Eleven might finally have her Carrie moment with the bullies at her new school. Unfortunately, we’ve got a few more months to wait. In the meantime, you can always try to find more Easter eggs of your own. Stranger Things Seasons 1-3 are currently streaming on Netflix.

Best in Entertainment