Earth astronauts land on Mars and are puzzled by the reception they receive: most of the Martians are annoyed or angered by their arrival.

In the near future, young children are persuaded to help an imaginary friend named Drill to play a game called Invasion.

Cuckolded farmer Charlie purchases a weird specimen in a jar from a carnival sideshow, hoping to gain some respect in the town. When his faithless wife threatens to reveal that the creature is a fake, Charlie is driven to an act of desperation.

Greentown, Illnois is in the midst of the "desperate empties," the doldrums that come at the tail-end of summer. To bring some excitement to the town, twelve-year-old Charlie helps the rascally Colonel Stonesteel bury a fake mummy to be uncovered at the Labor Day parade in an elaborate hoax.

An invasion force from Mars heads to Earth, prepared to overcome a strong military resistance. Instead, when they arrive they are greeted by glad-handing community representatives, a marching band, and the key to the city. The aliens are soon introduced to the vulgar and consumer-oriented "American way of life" which turns out to be a bigger threat than an armed resistance would have been.

As a boy, piano prodigy Douglas was tormented by a gang of bullies led by Ralph. Now, fifty years later, Doug looks for closure in his life--by traveling back to his hometown and murdering Ralph.

After witnessing a student's accidental death because of bullying, a teacher vows to put children in their place but they plan to do the same to him.

A middle-aged Earth couple emigrates to Mars after the death of their son Tom. On a particularly bad night of grieving, a psychically sensitive native Martian is captured by their strong emotions and forced into the form of Tom and is accepted as such by the bereaved mother. The father, though, is torn by the conflict between his revulsion and concern for his wife.