Bewildering Stories introduces and welcomes...

Christopher DeRosa

Christopher is from northern New Jersey, where he was raised on Greek mythology. He is now an adjunct professor of literature. His hobbies include writing, painting and hiking old trails in search of a cure for writer’s block.

“The Nadir of the Labyrinth” is a novella in seven parts. It is actually a collection of stories told by prisoners of a tyrannical king who has sent them not to Daedalus’ labyrinth but to a cave that serves as a natural imitation of it and is complete with a replica of the Minotaur made by other means than the original.

The synopsis cautions readers against expecting a retelling of the story of King Minos, although the king in this story is deranged enough to serve as a model — and hardly as a caricature — of wild-eyed despots in worlds both ancient and modern.

Readers may wonder why the princess, whose story is told next to last, is not identified immediately as the narrator in the Introduction. If we consider the alternative, it’s easy to see the dramatic function of a slow identification: she doesn’t “pull rank.” The story is strongly egalitarian and democratic in its effect. And the princess earns respect for overcoming the stern brainwashing that she was subjected to when she was a child.

Christopher DeRosa’s bio sketch can be found here.

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