Cargo Cult — Graham Storrs

When a Vinggan ship crash-lands on the uncharted planet Earth, the marooned survivors â€" twelve religious zealots, their leader, and a single, low-ranking crewman, called Drukk â€" decide to make the best of it by converting humanity to their rather authoritarian religion. Inadvertently disguised as megastar actress Loosi Beecham, they set off to begin their evangelical mission.

And that's when things really begin to go wrong. For their crash was not all it seemed, interstellar law enforcement is on their tail, and the humans are inexplicably strange â€" especially the busload of old folk they make off with, the New Age cargo cult that welcomes them, the local police force that is following them around, and an overambitious reporter and her idiot brother who don't help matters by kidnapping crewman Drukk.

Oh, and did I mention the talking kangaroos?

Only Drukk finally begins to understand what is really going on, but by then the Vinggans have unwittingly carted dozens of humans off-world and the only plan anyone can come up with to get home again is complete and utter insanity.