The reason most indie novels are written like the author is terrified of doing something wrong is because the overwhelming majority of indie novelists get their start by networking in the violent panopticon of the social media indie publishing community, which favours the people who are able to win at the social policing game.
I had heard of the whole messed up situation with this story, but I hadn't ever read the synopsis of the story before, and WOW
This story sounds like it could have been a brilliant exploration of gender and warfare and violence but instead it was attacked by people who didn't know how to confront a story that made them uncomfortable, and the author faced horrible consequences.
It's so important to be able to deal with stories that give you uncomfortable feelings in other ways than just attacking it. Being shown new perspectives sometimes has feelings of discomfort because it's an unfamiliar way of seeing the world.
writing a super long review of volume 2 right now, but here’s the TLDR:
worst fear confirmed - stranger things isn’t a show with extremely well thought out, rich, subtle symbolism and nuanced characters, but rather a heavy-handed, money-making blockbuster that makes broad (and frankly boring) statements that aren’t coherent, new or interesting
So back in s2 we all know Will was possessed, but the only part of him he could communicate though when the mind flayer took over him was his left hand. And earlier in the season Mike holds that same hand to comfort Will.
In s5 we see when Lucas holds Max's hand, thats the only part she can feel from the outside world, and is one of the reasons shes almost able to make it out.
Umm yeah idk if they actually meant to parallel these in a way but I noticed this and thought it was cute. Especially since lumax is a canon and healthy couple and its being paralleled to byler, I think that says a lot.
All evidence that points at Will being the creator of the Upside Down:
(some of them should be taken with a pinch of salt).
• The Upside Down being stuck on the day Will went missing.
• The Upside Down wasn’t a thing till the 6th of november—essentially existing as it’s own pocket dimension inside dimension X.
• In a Hot Ones Interview, NS said that “Will built the tunnels” In s2. That never got verbal confirmation in the show itself or other interviews as far as we know. The clip was cut from the video (video under the cut1).
• In a leaked photo there was a line where Vecna says “You were my Vessel. My spy. My builder.” Arguably it could be fake, but the rest of the lines were correct and were said in volume 1. (picture under the cut2).
• In the recent volume 2 trailer, Dustin says “Everything we have ever assumed about the Upside Down has been dead wrong.” The party assumed the UD was just there/that El opened it, so if they were “dead wrong” about that, what else could it possibly be? Oh, right. Will.
• The tunnels in s2 were never fully shown till the Mind Flayer possessed Will. Now obviously the Upside Down tunnels were already underneath Hawkins, but Will’s connection was never severed, and in s2 he was already connected to Vecna (interview under the cut3), so who’s to say that Will wasn’t “building” during the time between s1 and s2?
• Vecna still needs Will for something, there is a reason why he hasn’t killed him just yet (interview under the cut4), Will getting powers should be a hindrance to Vecna—Will in general should be a thorn in Vecna’s side, after all he can partially see what Vecna is doing, so why not just kill Will? He needs him.
• “You showed me what was possible.” Is a line Vecna told Will in ep4, now what Will had possibly done to make Vecna say that? It’s not possession since the Mind Flayer obviously knows it can possess people. So far in the show Will technically didn’t do anything special (pre-ep4) that would warrant that line. Unless of course HE BUILT THE UD. And now Vecna is aware of the possibility of building a “bridge” into the Right Side Up aka Hawkins for the Mind Flayer to enter.
• “It is time. For a new world.” A line from the new volume 2 trailer. If Vecna had the ability to build a new world himself why wouldn’t he have immediately killed 4 people to open the gates right after the end of s3?
I hope I didn’t miss anything! If I think of anything else I will update this list :) Again, take everything with a grain of salt.
1. The interview. Again, this specific clip was cut, it now goes “Then season two Will’s possessed and then gets exorcised out of him—”
2.
*. Dustin’s Lines.
(It also looks like he’s talking to Mike in here—which in the trailer you can see Dustin and Mike hugging in the UD).
Something about Wheeler siblings who spent their entire life conforming to fit the image of the perfect family of Hawkins, falling in love with Byers siblings who are considered the freaks of the town
