Bewildering Stories welcomes...

R. W. Nichols

R.W. lives in a small town in northern Michigan with her husband. They’re in close contact with their children and grandchildren. R.W. says she’s a new writer and is inspired by commonplace incidents that could have strange causes or effects.

“Chase’s Camping Trip” certainly achieves R.W.’s purpose! Readers will surmise from the outset that Chase is an “odd man out” at a campground populated by families and that he has something to do with various campers’ disappearances, something he’s not telling us about — until the very end.

The story is a model of the “unreliable narrator” — or at least a coy narrator who doesn’t reveal himself till the end. The dramatic pacing is impeccable, and the mysterious recognition scene — how does the mother sense that Chase is a monster? — is a nice touch.

R. W. Nichols’s bio sketch can be found here.

Welcome to Bewildering Stories, R. W. We hope to hear from you again soon and often!