Harry Stone is just an average kid, doing the best he can to keep out of trouble and do well in school. But life has other plans for him. He cannot sit idly by when others are being bullied or hurt in any way. With Rachel's help, Harry must overcome a terrible childhood tragedy that eventually lands him in a Juvenile Detention Center for five years. It is there that he first starts seeing the cursed seven mysterious letters-in his dreams, in the clouds, even in his cereal. Eventually he finishes his time in JD and hooks up with Rachel again, who introduces him to her new friend, Sherman, the smartest teenager in the world, who just happens to go to her high school. The three of them work together to solve the mysterious jumbled letters, but fall short of realizing the true meaning. Their common interest in Astronomy bands them together, and, with Sherman leading the way, they all get jobs at NASA and embark on a space mission that changes the course of mankind. Harry's wit and courage are stretched to the limit when they leave their galaxy and land on the evil planet of Glarb, ruled by values of deceit, torture, and technology. There, they are enslaved for life, which is usually not very long for slaves. Fortunately, they find an ally in one of the animals on Glarb, the gifted Snurdles. But will it be enough to escape before they are all killed?