The Little Monsters Come

"The Little Monsters Come" by Ray Cummings is a thrilling science fiction story set in the Florida Everglades, where a backwoodsman named Allen Nixon faces an unexpected alien encounter. It kicks off when Nixon, hunting alligators one night, stumbles upon tiny humanoid creatures from a rocky asteroid beyond Mars, called Orites, who are secretly collecting wildlife specimens. The story shifts gear as these miniatures, after initially amazing Nixon, turn hostile and capture him. Aboard their spaceship, Nixon discovers their scheme: they plan to use him in experiments to create a growth serum. This serum is intended to allow them to conquer their harsh home world. However, Nixon's story is not without its own action, as Nixon escapes. The story then turns to Nixon’s navigation of this alien environment, confronting the treacherous Tork, and deciding the fate of himself and the Orites. The climax pits Nixon against Tork in a battle of wits and strength, grappling with the ethics of dominance and survival on Orana, before Nixon ultimately decides to return to Earth, leaving the Orites to their own destiny.