When I heard the premise of this, I was certain it would be a fun little romp - but this was so much more! Absolutely unputdownable, absurd, fascinating, and also such an incisive and accurate portrayal of humanity that it almost felt too real at time. I wasn’t sure about the ending at first, but the final few vignettes nailed it for me. I’ll also say this - I was skeptical of the format working for me (each chapter exploring the perspective of this cosmic event from various people and viewpoints across mostly the US) as I am not a fan of short story collections, but this absolutely read as a cohesive novel, and I think far more interesting and engaging than it might’ve been if it had followed just one or two characters. My giant thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the chance to read an early copy of one of my most anticipated books of the year!

This book mentions the word “cheese” 366 times. Whether that delights you or horrifies you is probably a good indicator as to if you will enjoy this book.

Personally, I found it to be delightfully ridiculous. The moon gets turned to cheese - that is quite a silly concept. But given that we live in a world where increasingly ridiculous things happen, I am at a point in life where I would not be too surprised if the moon were to in fact turn into cheese. For that reason (on top of also being very well written and funny) I really liked this book.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi is not just a story about the moon turning into cheese—it’s a touching exploration of how the unthinkable can change everything we know, and how we find meaning in the absurd.

In this book, the sudden transformation of the moon into cheese sparks a series of events that forces humanity to confront its fears, its fragility, and its relationships. It’s a truly unique premise, but Scalzi uses it as a canvas to tell a story that’s as much about human emotion and connection as it is about a cosmic catastrophe.

Scalzi’s ability to weave humor with heart makes this story so special. There are moments of laughter, yes, but beneath that, there’s a poignant sense of loss and longing as the characters navigate a world forever changed. The absurdity of the situation somehow makes the emotions feel more raw, more real, and more deeply felt.

The characters are beautifully written—flawed, searching, and vulnerable. As they try to make sense of a world where the impossible has become reality, you’ll find yourself rooting for them, feeling with them, and even shedding a tear or two.

It’s a powerful reminder that sometimes, even in the strangest of circumstances, we find ourselves—and each other—in ways we never expected. If you’re looking for a story that will make you laugh, think, and maybe even cry,

When the Moon Hits Your Eye is absolutely a must-read for anybody attempting to find answers in a world as ever changing as ours.

One of the most unusual books I have ever read but it's fantastic! The moon has turned to cheese. That's what it looks like ,but now the astronauts that were about to go to the moon can't go, there is no precedent for landing on cheese. it is assumed that the moon is in fact cheese because all the moon rocks collected on previous missions have turned to cheese. This all brings up a delightful range of reactions and dilemmas from everyone on earth i.e.: priest, politicians, scientist and common humans. The author leads the reader on a delightful, hilarious at times romp through the reactions. It is a wild and enjoyable tale!

I am absolutely obsessed with John Scalzi's work! I absolutely loved this addition to Scalzi's catalog!

The *MOON* turns into *CHEESE* in this one!!

Have you ever wondered what that would be like? because Scalzi really sets some interesting points for what could happen! In this book we follow a slew of individuals from children to billionaires to scientists and back again! Seeing how all of them interact with he cheese moon is equally hilarious and a tad terrifying.

I absolutely love the formating of this story as it feels like a little world of interconnected short stories! Each story is well paced and keeps you entertained from the start of the book to the very last page!

You will laugh, you will (maybe unexpectantly) wanna cry, while reading this amazing Sci-Fi Fantasy novel from John Scalzi!

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I found this to be a very entertaining look at a really strange apocalypse. On this novel the moon turns to cheese. Or, an “organic matrix” as the NASA scientific community calls it to sound less absurd. But come on, the moon spontaneously turning into anything besides what it is IS ABSURD!

This book is numerous tales woven well together that tell the story of numerous Americans grappling with the news that the moon is now cheese and everything they thought to be true isn’t. From the scientific level, to the faith/God level, to… well, just everything.

Stories of people from all walks of life are told. From billionaires, bankers, aging rock stars, preachers, scientists, writers, artists and astronauts - many fascinating stories are explored as everyone tries to deal with the strangest thing ever to happen. John Scalzi does a really awesome job with all of these very unique characters. My favorite chapters are the ones about the most “regular” of people: The writer, the ex-wife of an aging rock star and “grumpy old men” in a diner. They’re all written with so much heart and they are delightful. On the other side of that, there are some real bastards - they’re interesting to read about too. The bankers. Need I say more?!

This book is great for those who like sci-fi/end of world stories that focus on people and today’s world. This could happen here & now. Ok, I know, chances of the moon turning to cheese are slim, but the way Scalzi writes it seems so believable!

I feel most of my book buddies will enjoy this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for my copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am so torn on John Scalzi. I’ve loved some of his books and made myself finish others. Maybe it was the way their wasn’t a central character that had my struggling with this one? Whatever it was, it just wasn’t clicking.

My favorite part was where he killed off the tech billionaire in an eruption of cheese.

CW/TW: death, terminal illness, suicide

Maybe my expectations were too high because I thoroughly enjoyed The Kaiju Preservation Society and Starter Villain. Moon does not some close to those books in creativity or humor--which are two things I admire and come to expect from Scalzi. Something else I'm getting so tired of is author's clear dislike of our administration. It's apparent in this and just sets the tone for mediocre content. There's also no chance to really connect with any of these characters because they only get a portion of play time. Too many superfluous big words. Disappointing all around. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

I’m a fan of John Scalzi and really loved his more recent The Kaiju Preservation Society and Starter Villian books. I’ve also enjoyed some of his past works as well!

When I heard he’d written a book about the moon turning to cheese, I knew I was in even if I thought it was a very bizarre premise. But it’s John Scalzi. Had to give it a try!

It was definitely much better than I expected. It was different and more “realistic” than I anticipated inasfar as people’s reactions. I mean, IF the moon really turned into cheese, how would YOU react.

I’m a big fan of apocalyptic stories, so there were definitely a bit of that aspect thrown in. And believe it or not, this book became very thought provoking which I did NOT expect.

All in all, I enjoyed this one and so glad I took a chance on such a strange concept!

*Thanks so much to partner Tor Books and to NetGalley for the gifted eARC!*

This was such a fun read. If you go into it and not take it too serious, you're going to have fun. The basic structure of the book is taking the view points of different characters day by day and how they would react if the moon suddenly turned to cheese.

You could say it's quite cheesy... heh

Anyways a super fun read. Highly recommend if you need something lighthearted and a bit weird. Thank you for the eArc in exchange for an honest review of the book!

I don’t know how he keeps doing it, but I’m grateful that he has! Scalzi has written another silly, satirical, sci-fi story that speaks directly to our current political climate and offers both the escapism of zany situations and some rather insightful commentary… Oh, yeah, and there’s a character suspiciously similar to Elon Musk who meets a satisfying end 😉
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Thank you so much Torbooks and Netgalley for allowing me an advance e-copy! I really enjoyed reading this book - especially during everything going on in America. I think this book appeals to both readers wanting an escape, and readers looking for political satire. I’m glad to recommend this book (and really any book by John Scalzi ).

I really enjoyed this book! It was funny, thought provoking, full of characters that were interesting, and had a very interesting premise. What would you do it the moon suddenly turned into a giant orb of cheese? This book takes a look at all of the ways people might react to something catastrophic in their lives and pokes a little bit of fun at people too.

The way this book is set up is very interesting. Each chapter captures a day in the life of someone after the moon has turned to cheese. And it is a very large range of people, from the astronaut who was hoping to go to the moon, to scientist and philosophers trying to explain what happened, a billionaire who just wants to eat a piece of the moon to just mundane ordinary people moving on with their lives. I loved every chapter, and found myself laughing out loud during some of them. Some of the people have more than one chapter, and a few of the more famous ones get mentioned in almost all of them, but it was fun to see how different people might react to this momentous change in the moon.

The writing is great and I loved all of the fun and witty dialogue, and even the cheesy puns. I really enjoyed the fact that even though we were getting peeks into different people’s lives, there was still the shared feeling of not knowing what the future held for the earth. Some of my favorite chapters were told from the point of views of the philosopher and his friends and the ones where the religious community was trying to figure out God’s plan, or possibly the devils. These chapters were the most thought provoking while still maintaining a sense of humor. The ending was not at all what I was expecting, but that was great too.

If you enjoy this author’s work this is a must read. If you are interested in stories that border on the absurd but still wrestle with the important questions of life while asking what if?, then this is a book you should consider reading.

What did I just read??

This book was hilarious, surprisingly heartwarming, and a little bit existentially terrifying? I ate up this book. Gobbled it up. I loved the structure of following lots of different characters with vastly different perspectives on the issue at hand - it raised the stakes and made the humor even funnier. I love these Scalzi books about normal people in extraordinary circumstances!

Scalzi's writing style is just so compulsively readable - does he put drugs in his books? How did I possibly read this so quickly? It was just pure FUN and I loved it.

**Scalzi: So, I have an idea.
Publisher: go on.
Scalzi: it’s about the moon.
Publisher: okay…
Scalzi: and it turns into a giant ball of cheese.
Publisher: ……Write. The. Book.**

And so starts our journey once again into the kooky mind of John Scalzi.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye is an off-the-wall story about the moon suddenly turning into cheese, and turning the world upside down.

The story follows a series of people as they navigate what the change in the moon does to them. You have astronauts who are deeply disappointed at the chance to return to the moon snatched away from them; a billionaire who has to make a successful trip to the moon or go broke; two brothers who own rivaling cheese shops, and haven’t spoken in years; a nonfiction author who’s propelled into the spotlight after writing a pop fiction book that includes the moon; government officials trying to navigate truth telling and keeping their citizens calm; and more, and more, and more. Scalzi is able to incorporate numerous different storylines without them becoming muddled or confusing. They also are infused with his typical humor and wit-keeping the reader invested, and giving them a few laughs along the way. And while there is a bit of tension because of the volatile nature of a moon with unpredictable stability, John balances it out with heartfelt moments, and poking fun at the outrageous moments-and there’s plenty of them.

This book is quintessential Scalzi, was still quite enjoyable, and highlights why I love his writing.

While the premise was nice, the writing was... not what I expected. I wanted more from the characters because I felt that what was on the front cover and the front flap was not what we were given.

Hi!

This is my review of When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi.

Overall, this was a good book! I enjoyed the concept very much. I liked the format as well, getting to hear about multiple characters and their individual reactions to the events of the story. I do wish that, when there was some continuity, it was made more apparent for the reader. Sometimes, characters from the beginning of the book would pop up towards the end and it took some time for me to recognize them.

I felt like I needed more information about the specifics of the cheese moon. Some of the hints at explanations offered at the end felt like excuses for not having a true explanation. I know the author has stated that science was not supposed to be at the forefront of the story, but some of the explanations could have been developed over a longer period of time than just the very end.

Folks know I push John Scalzi's books pretty hard. His sardonic take on things resonates with my funny bone and sense of taste. But I do disagree with him on something that was brought up in "When the Moon Hits Your Eye" (out 25 March 2025), we need more films in that series "we don't talk about in polite society." I want a trilogy of schlock that ends in a visually bombastic way that beggars other productions and a message about the indomitable human spirit that floors people with its gravitas.

One day the moon turned to cheese. Or at least a substance that tests the same as cheese and no one wants to say officially is cheese. And people have to deal with it. While it doesn't impact your average person what the moon is made of it alters things for astronauts who have been training their whole lives to go to the moon. Scientists and students who have certain expectations about universal constants, like moons not turning to cheese. This is a story told in snippets of different people's stories, some we touch back on, others are one and done. I had a real good time with this.

Reasons to read:
-I appreciate bad things happening to rich people, and then the aside about how much it sucks that that is the single thing they will be remembered for
-The slack chapter
-"What kind of cheese is it?"
-Oh the last 2 chapters really make it land for my brain
-Putting things in perspective

Cons:
-Said cheese more in a week than I probably have in the last decade

One day, the moon turns to cheese. Yes, that’s what happens in this super silly, yet at times hysterical (and even thought provoking) sci-fi satire. The author uses much of the story to blast Elon Musk, and privileged billionaires in general, and a section dealing with a political sex scandal news conference had me laughing out loud.

Much of the novel jumps around to unconnected characters, which at times works, but often I wanted to learn what became of some, only we’re (mainly) given glimpses into how people are dealing not only with this bizarre phenomenon, but the end of life itself (a huge chunk of the moon breaks free and heads towards earth in what scientists claim will be The End of All Things).

While I did enjoy this quote a bit, it’s a bit frustrating Scalzi introduced so many well developed characters only to leave us guessing what became of them. But, I’ll let this slight flaw slide since one of my favorite artists (Gary Numan) is not only name checked, but used as an example in one couple’s situation.

For those not in the know, for over 20 years there has been a subgenre in the small presses known as “bizarro.” Not only does Scalzi’s MOON fit that subgenre, it does so with gusto: it’s kind of amazing a mainstream press released something this wonderfully weird.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye is a book of slice of life short stories after the moon turns to cheese. Yep that’s right, the moon has turned to cheese.

“You have to be fucking kidding me,” Heffernan said, to the room. “I have here representatives from both our science and intelligence community, and all of you are telling me the moon—the whole fucking moon—has been turned to goddamn cheese.”

I have read a lot of Scalzi books, and this one has his same signature humor (albeit toned down), so if you’re a fan - pick this up! If you’re not already a fan, I’d suggest Kaiju or The Collapsing Empire over this one. Ultimately there were so many points of view from billionaires, to the a presidential advisor to astronauts to retirees. It was a little too much for me. I never felt connected to any of the characters which is an important aspect of reading for me.

Thank you to @netgalley and @torbooks for providing the ARC for review. When the Moon Hits Your Eye will be available March 25!

Everything is going along hunky-dory when suddenly the moon turns into cheese. That's the basis of this silly yet surprisingly thought-provoking new novel by John Scalzi. Each chapter is a day in the lunar cycle, and follows a wide-ranging collection of people, from NASA astronauts whose moon missions are suddenly "on hiatus" to evangelical Christians who assume that the moon's sudden cheesiness is the result of the devil to feuding brothers who own rival Wisconsin cheese shops to a billionaire playboy who's determined to be the first person to eat moon cheese. It's frivolous fun, full of weird (and strangely believable?) science and lots of fictional insanity, which makes it an excellent distraction from real-life insanity. Highly recommended for fans of Scalzi's Kaiju Preservation Society and Starter Villain, as well as anyone who loves cheese and astronomy.