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Off-topic: After Stranger Things, get ready for the ‘90s nostalgia!

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A montage of the characters and setting in Stranger Things.

Practically every review and discussion of Stranger Things mentions its ‘80s references and nostalgia. Even then, the show’s creators themselves actually grew up mainly in the ‘90s, and now that their generation is becoming influential in Hollywood, it’s only a matter of time before we see the ‘90s once again creep into movies, TV shows, and other culture, including our own roleplaying sessions.

Just like in Stranger Things, however, the best works won’t be set in the ‘90s just to score nostalgia points but to improve the story being told. Below is my list of reasons why the ‘90s is a great setting for fiction:

In addition to the details of the setting, let’s not forget the many opportunities for pop culture references. It’s easy to imagine a ‘90s version of Stranger Things replacing Dungeons & Dragons with GoldenEye 64 as a way of introducing the Upside Down—and do I even need to mention the boybands, the girl power, and the Jurassic Park toys?

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