Let’s get straight to the point – Is there a Stranger Things book? The short answer: No. The long answer: While there isn’t a single official novel that captures the full spirit of the show, there are several books that deliver the same mix of small-town mystery, teenage friendships, secret experiments, and supernatural horror.
The hit Netflix series has sparked a huge appetite for such stories. And to satiate that, we bring you the best books like Stranger Things, that deliver the same chilling atmosphere — where ordinary lives collide with extraordinary horrors, and the truth is always more dangerous than it seems.
There are official Stranger Things tie-ins, including comics, companion books, and character-focused stories. But if you are searching a Stranger Things book, these books could help recreate the feeling of the show.
Think…
- Kids and teens facing unexplainable forces
- Isolated towns with dark secrets
- Science gone wrong
- Supernatural threats lurking just beneath reality
That’s exactly where the books below shine.
By Nathan Carson
Set in 1986 rural Oregon, Starr Creek feels uncannily close to Stranger Things season one. Heavy-metal teens, bikes, backwoods rebellion, and an alien presence hidden in the forest make this novella a perfect tonal match. It captures that nostalgic 80s energy where kids stumble into something far bigger — and far stranger — than they’re prepared for.
By Dan Simmons
Part medical thriller, part supernatural horror, Children of the Night blends science and ancient evil in a way that will feel very familiar to Stranger Things fans. When a doctor discovers a child with an impossible immune system, her breakthrough attracts forces far older and darker than science can explain. Secret experiments, shadowy organisations, and a chilling connection to Dracula himself give this novel the same “science meets monster” tension that defines the show.
By Blake Crouch
A remote town vanishes overnight. More than a century later, a small group ventures in to uncover the truth — and realises they are not alone. Like Stranger Things, Abandon thrives on isolation, mounting paranoia, and the sense that the land itself is hostile. Crouch’s fast pacing and escalating danger echo the show’s survival horror moments, where curiosity quickly turns deadly.
By Kalynn Bayron
This Frankenstein-tinged horror novel brings a teenage protagonist into the heart of something deeply wrong. When death refuses to stay buried, Meka begins uncovering secrets her family has kept for generations. Much like Eleven’s journey in Stranger Things, this story explores identity, experimentation, and the terrifying cost of unlocking hidden power — all wrapped in an emotionally charged, modern horror narrative.
By Christopher Golden
Doppelgängers, fractured realities, and creeping dread define Dead Ringers. As characters encounter versions of themselves that shouldn’t exist, the novel leans into psychological horror with a supernatural edge. Fans of the Upside Down will appreciate how familiar spaces become unsettling, and how identity itself begins to fracture under unseen forces.
By Jeff VanderMeer
If you loved the lab-experiment-gone-wrong aspect of Stranger Things, Borne is essential reading. Set in a ruined city filled with biotech leftovers, the story follows a woman who adopts a strange, sentient organism with unknown potential. Like Eleven, Borne is both innocent and dangerous — a reminder that some creations can’t be controlled once they start to grow.
By Ransom Riggs
An abandoned home. Children with impossible abilities. A mystery trapped in time. This cult favourite mirrors Stranger Things through its blend of teenage discovery, supernatural powers, and lurking danger. The eerie photographs and time-loop narrative add an unsettling visual quality that will appeal to fans who loved the show’s haunting imagery.
What makes these titles feel like a true Stranger Things book experience isn’t just monsters or mystery; it’s the emotional core. These stories centre on young people facing the unimaginable, forging loyalty under pressure, and uncovering truths adults refuse to see.
They remind us that courage often comes from friendship, and that the scariest worlds are the ones hiding just beneath our own.
