Jack follows the fortunes of William Phillips, diagnosed as being mentally ill at the age of nineteen and admitted to a morally corrupt and brutal mental hospital in the 1970's. Separated and isolated from the family that had struggled to cope with his behaviour, the prejudice, apathy and bullying to which William is subjected merely serve to add credence to his delusion that he is being persecuted by aliens who want to harm him and those he loves. And of course there's Jack...and no one must know about him.