Netflix has significantly expanded its sci-fi offerings over the last decade, with "Stranger Things" standing out as its most successful series. Debuting ten years ago as a straightforward supernatural kidnapping narrative, the show evolved into a complex, multi-layered story by its final season last year. While the ending proved somewhat divisive among viewers, most agreed it avoided the catastrophic finales seen in other popular series like "Game of Thrones". Fans were particularly surprised by the limited number of major character deaths in the finale, despite the epic scope of the conflict. Even with Season 5 having concluded, many potential stories from Hawkins remain, and fans will soon have new opportunities to explore this beloved sci-fi world.

Following the conclusion of the main series, Netflix confirmed a new spin-off. The Duffer Brothers, creators of "Stranger Things," revealed this upcoming project would not feature any familiar characters. Instead, it will delve into the origins of the mysterious rock found by Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower) in the cave, which bestowed his powers. However, another "Stranger Things" spin-off is set to premiere this week, offering a different kind of return to the familiar universe. On Thursday, April 23, Netflix will launch "Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85," an animated series. This new show is specifically set between the events of "Stranger Things" Seasons 2 and 3 and will feature all the beloved members of the original series.

The ensemble voice cast for "Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85" includes Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, Elisha "EJ" Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, and Ben Plessala as Will. Brett Gipson voices Hopper, with Odessa A'zion as Nikki Baxer, Jeremy Jordan as Steve, Janeane Garofalo as Anna Baxter, and Lou Diamond Phillips as Daniel Fischer. Additional cast members include Robert Englund as Cosmo, Alysia Reiner as Karen Wheeler, Alessandra Antonelli as Nancy Wheeler, Valeria Rodriguez as Rosario, and Jack Griffo as Jeff. The official synopsis for the animated series describes a return to Hawkins in the winter of 1985, where snow blankets the town and the horrors of the Upside Down are seemingly fading. Our heroes — Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max — have settled into a normal life filled with D&D, snowball fights, and quiet days. Yet, beneath the ice, something terrifying awakens, prompting the heroes to race against time to solve the mystery and save Hawkins once more in this new chapter of the "Stranger Things" universe.

Beyond the direct narrative expansion of "Stranger Things," fans of sci-fi dystopias can also test their survival instincts with Collider’s "Sci-Fi Survival Quiz." This quiz challenges participants to determine which of five iconic sci-fi worlds they would be best equipped to survive: The Matrix, Mad Max, Blade Runner, Dune, or Star Wars. Each universe presents unique challenges and requires specific attributes for survival, offering completely different ways the future has gone wrong or sideways. The quiz features eight questions, probing instincts, resourcefulness, fear, approach to authority, preferred environment, alliances, morality, and ultimate purpose.

The results of the quiz offer intriguing insights into different survivor archetypes. For those who would survive in The Matrix, the results suggest a "red pill" mentality: a systems thinker drawn to understanding and breaking constructed realities. These individuals would likely find the Resistance due to their instinct for spotting manipulation and their need for information and freedom to act. Survival in the Mad Max wasteland, conversely, points to someone hard to kill and break, prioritizing fuel and vehicles over comfort or community. This archetype is unsentimental yet possesses enough decency to be more than just another raider. Navigating Los Angeles, 2049, from Blade Runner, requires an ability to exist in moral grey areas without losing oneself, reading people accurately, and keeping a small, trusted circle, maintaining functionality in a dehumanizing city.

Survival on Arrakis from Dune is reserved for those with exceptional patience, discipline, and political awareness, understanding that the long game is paramount in the universe's most hostile environment. Such individuals would learn the desert planet's logic and earn its respect, eventually reshaping it rather than being consumed by it. Lastly, a survivor in "A Galaxy Far, Far Away" from Star Wars thrives in vast, politically tumultuous environments. These individuals find meaning in larger causes, gravitating towards the Rebellion or other pockets of resistance, fighting for freedom not out of obligation but because they are incapable of standing aside. This willingness to fight is what defines their survival in a galaxy under constant threat from the Empire. This diverse range of sci-fi content, from animated spin-offs to interactive quizzes, ensures that fans have plenty to engage with in the ever-expanding world of science fiction.