A man without ambition and a habit of overachieving takes a job with few prospects and little chance of social interaction. All he has to do is wait for the tapes to be delivered and then transcribe the recorded conversations word for word. Before long, his solitude leads the man to imagine lives for the anonymous people he listens to as well as a new life for himself with the woman who brings him the tapes. But making up stories isn"t part of the job description, and soon the man begins to make mistakes. His errors have consequences, most notably the sudden appearance of the fat-man.