Jabberwock, Beware!

The story depicts an alien invasion in which giant Jovian beings threaten Earth and demand an intellectual duel for survival; a committee selects Joe Waters, a brilliant young mathematician and former decathlon champion who, reeling from the destruction of the moon, arrives drunk and accompanied by a hard-drinking companion. They are transported to the aliens' ship to face Slan, the princely leader, whose size and demeanor underscore human vulnerability. As the match approaches, human confidence collides with absurdity, courage, and comic pathos, leaving the outcome uncertain while exploring wit, bravado, and the limits of human competence under extraordinary pressure.