The wait for Stranger Things content has just gotten a whole lot shorter as a brand new prequel novel based on fan-favorite Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) will be dropping on October 31st. The novel (titled Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus) will follow Eddie Munson two years before the events of Season 4 in which he made his debut. The official plot description says that he meets a record producer, who gives him the chance to achieve his musical dreams with his band Corroded Coffin. He just needs money, and to get it, he becomes entangled in his dad’s shady activities. Entertainment Weekly has exclusively revealed the cover of the novel, which features a shot from his iconic “Master of Puppets” scene.. It’s great that we’ll be getting more Eddie Munson, especially a backstory — after all, he’s such a fun and interesting character, why wouldn’t we want more? But it’s a little sad that we won’t see it play out in the show due to his untimely fate. Eddie Munson deserved more than one season on Stranger Things, and while a novel about him is more than welcome, one can’t help but think of what could have been.. RELATED: Steve Harrington’s Fate in ‘Stranger Things’ Was Supposed to Be Totally Different. Eddie Was a Quick Fan-Favorite on ‘Stranger Things 4′. Image via Netflix. Eddie caught the hearts of Stranger Things fans all over the world, seemingly overnight. There was just something about him that people were drawn to. Perhaps it was his grunge/rocker aesthetic, or his nerdy/cool guy persona — whatever it was, Eddie quickly took the Stranger Things universe (and the internet) by storm. But as is the case with just about every season of the show, he suffered from being the new character who’s brought in to die (or cause chaos and then die.) Look at Bob (Sean Astin), Billy (Dacre Montgomery), and Alexei (Alec Utgoff). Each one was brought into the already-established story and suffered wicked fates by the hands of whatever evil their season was dishing out. It was fairly clear from the beginning of Season 4 that Eddie would be no exception, no matter how much we wished for the opposite. Even his death scene was iconic as he shredded Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” and created a diversion to save his new friends. Sure, it was devastating to watch, but he went out a true hero and laid his life on the line to give his friends a chance to get away, and for that alone, he deserves so much credit.. Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that he brought a fresh new dynamic to the show and struck up some really special friendships in his time, most notably with Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo.) He even made a really sweet and genuine connection with Chrissy (Grace Van Dien) in her very short time on the show. There was just something about him that was so magnetic and charismatic, and he fit in so well with our group of pre-established characters. It felt like he had been around since the beginning with how seamlessly he blended into the story. He brought such a different vibe to the group with his more grunge vibe and his loner lifestyle, but it also made him fit in all the more and let him find his purpose among our group of Stranger-Kids.. There are some who believe Eddie will return for the show’s final season, possibly having survived his Demo-Bat wounds by some miracle. Although the chances are “highly unlikely,” according to executive producer Shawn Levy, the constant fan theories only go to show just how beloved Eddie Munson was and how much more time he deserved. Even though his death was clear and imminent from the start, it didn’t make it sting any less.. ‘Flight of Icarus’ Will Show Eddie’s Journey Toward Becoming a Hero. Image via Netflix. Eddie isn’t the first character from the show to score a novel, as Terry Ives (Aimee Mullins), Hopper (David Harbour), Max (Sadie Sink), Robin (Maya Hawke), and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) all have official novels that delve deep into their characters and their lives post-series. But while he may not be the first character to get a novel, it makes complete sense why he’s getting one, and why he deserves it. In the grand scheme of the season, we really didn’t spend much time with Eddie as a stand-alone character, meaning we didn’t get to learn too much about him and his life, aside from little bits of information sprinkled throughout. There are so many questions unanswered about him, and while a bit of mystery can be fun, we truly don’t know much about him outside of the Stranger-Group. Flight of Icarus will provide answers to those little holes, and open fans up to a whole new side of Eddie that we unfortunately never got to see. We’ll get to see what has led him to become the person we meet in Season 4, the courageous and unique leader of the Hellfire Club who is so unwilling to conform to societal norms.. The novel’s writer is Caitlin Schneiderhan who is currently in the writers’ room for Season 5, meaning she’s more than familiar with Eddie and will bring fans a hearty story in the novel. In a statement with Entertainment Weekly, she said: “The Eddie Munson we meet at the beginning of Stranger Things 4 is the protective shepherd to the nerdy lost sheep of Hawkins High. But taking on that mantle wasn’t such a cut-and-dry decision. I’m so excited for fans to go with him on his journey towards becoming a hero, to experience the messy and uncomfortable decisions that led him to become the brave misfit we all know and love.” So while the story may take place before Season 4 when we first met Eddie, we’ll get to see a brand-new side of him and see what led him to become the character we know and love.. Flight of Icarus will certainly be a treat to fans, especially for those who have burning questions that the season’s main storyline simply couldn’t make room to tell. But even though the news about the novel is thrilling, it will always be a shame Eddie couldn’t stick around. He was so much more than a side character, or a plot device, or the black sheep who swoops in to save the day. He deserved more time, and he certainly deserved more than one season
