Enjoying a fishing excursion in a remote location, Tommy Jordan sees a spacecraft land. He observes a pair of aliens, and hears them communicate to each other by "thinking-aloud". The two aliens, which Tommy thinks resemble bugs, are named Gool and Zorg. They plan to eliminate the Earth people, who the aliens think look like the bugs of their planet. Tommy attempts to tell his friends, parents, and the authorities. His past as a teller of tall tales causes non-belief in those close to him, and others just think the idea absurd.