The first chapter is well-written.  It introduces the frustrated teenaged hero, his stridently religious aunt, the teasing object of his affection, and her surprisingly patient mother.  It felt a bit like an afterschool special, but could also lead to one of those horror stories where teenagers go into the house everyone knows is haunted.

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"Maligoth" deals with the common sci-fi premise of alternate worlds, and supremely powerful extra-terrestrials.  There’s the common tropes of the nerdy introvert protagonist, (Wallace McFerguson) the sexy girl next door that likes him anyway, and the overly religious parental figure in his aunt.

But, despite these over-used cliches, the author creates a powerful atmosphere of tension and suspense.  Long chapters enhance the reader’s experience, as the writer evokes setting, character and emotion with rich depth.

The plot of the story reminds me of Stephen King’s "Tommyknockers," where alien technology transforms the population of a small town.  Instead of recreating aliens with technology, the mysterious antagonist Maligoth seems to be genetically altering humans into dinosaur hybrids with doctored mushrooms.  While it sounds strange in theory, the writing style compells the reader forward to see what happens next.  It’s one of those rare cases of becoming so engrossed in a character’s experiences that you see past the derivative elements, because there’s enough spin on them to create a story worth reading.

Wallace McFerguson might have an unwieldy name (meaning Son of Fergus’ Son in Scottish, a little annoying) but he’s worth hanging out with as he copes with the horrific mystery surrounding his home town during the transformations, and then the way he deals with the aftermath of the quarantine.  Halfway through the story, I definitely intend to finish reading it and expand on this review.  I’m certain the writer’s talents will make it worthwhile, as he adds new flesh to the old bones of science fiction stand-bys.

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