What could make Netflix’s breakout hit, Stranger Things even stranger? It’s the idea that all of that craziness had some basis in reality. The Duffer brothers originally sold Stranger Things to Netflix under the title “Montauk.” That suggests that the Duffers drew some of their inspiration from Preston B. Nichols’ Montauk novels, which has things that make even the Upside-Down look tame! Today’s Nerdist News is on the case and we’re looking at Stranger Things‘ connection to a truly bizarre conspiracy theory that some people really believe.

Take this with all of the salt, but Nichols claims that his Montauk trilogy is based on his experiences at Camp Hero. Think of it as the East Coast’s answer to Area 51. Camp Hero was supposedly a secret government instillation where science as we know it was pushed into the realm of science fiction. We’re talking time travel experiments, psychic warfare, and even children from small towns who were abducted and experimented upon. Does that sound like any eleven-year-old girls that we’ve recently seen on Netflix?

Now, we’re not saying that we buy into this gonzo theory, but there are some uncanny parallels between the Montauk books and the events in Stranger Things. For example, the account of a creature escaping from the realm of the sub-consciousness and going on a rampage in the lab sure sounds a lot like our ol’ pal, the Demogorgon breaking out of the Upside-Down. And we do have to add that the idea of monsters from our worst nightmares leaping into our reality is just terrifying.

Nerdist News host and cryptozoologist Jessica Chobot has all of the important details, as she dives into the even crazier territory explored in the Montauk books that may have implications for future seasons of our new favorite show.

What do you think about the possible connection between Stranger Things and Nichols’ Montauk? Schedule a remote viewing and share your thoughts below!