I love the way this book starts, from the opening of short facts about the moon presented in a children's book approach to the awe-inducing discoveries regarding changes in the planet. It reminded me of how accessible to readers the science-fiction of Asimov, Heinlein and Sturgeon was - especially the works of Ray Bradbury. That's good company.

The story is told in episodic chapters, focusing on the point of view of a large ensemble of characters, related in chronological order corresponding to the days in a lunar cycle. There's a turn of events near the end that came as a complete surprise, and some may consider unsatisfactory, but I won't spoil it by hinting at anything. I was perfectly fine with this, and felt it was an appropriate way to end things.

It seems that Scalzi considered all the implications for us mere mortals on Earth should the moon turn to cheese and upset the status quo, etc. Some of the chapters are more serious than others, but there is a tonge-in-cheek vibe to everything here. Every possible scenario seems to have been accounted for, from the reaction of the scientific community, to big government, to Hollywood, to the common man.

Three of my favorite chapters are the three retired senior citizens who meet for breakfast at a diner and speculate on the future, the Elon Musk-like character who spearheads his own mission to the moon (and gets what he deserves - wishing something similar would happen to the real person), and the various screen-writers making their elevator pitches to Hollywood producers for a moon-themed script.

Some memorable Scalzi wit/satire, through the thoughts of Jody Bannon (think Elon Musk):"Follow: Jody Bannon wanted to go to the moon. Jody Bannon knew he had neither the time nor patience to go through real astronaut training. So if he was going to go to the moon, he was going to have to buy an aerospace company (which he did), make a credible bid to build a next-generation lunar lander (which he did), and then have it built with so many automated and redundant systems that even an untrained dipshit (which he was) could make it to the moon and back, just by pressing the occasional button."

Also, this little gem - - a conversation between President Boone and his wife regarding how to break the news about the moon to the public:
Boone snorted. "You've seen my latest poll numbers," he said. "My powers of persuasion are not what you think they are."
"This isn't about you trying to shepherd legislation," Angie said. "This is you being the actual most powerful human in the world. Right or wrong, that's who you are right now. People know it, even if they hate it and hate you. So if they get even a hint that you think we're doomed, it's all over. If they think you think we have a chance, they'll take that into their heads. Even if they think you're delusional."
"I might be delusional," Boone admitted.
"And you might not be. Maybe we will get through this."
"Maybe we will. And if we do, then maybe I'll get reelected."
"Don't get your hopes up," Angie said. "I've seen your poll numbers."

The premise of this book is weird, almost silly, but I love John Scalzi's ability to imagine what it would be like if something like that actually happened! He creates characters the reader can invest in and care about. There were a variety of storylines about the same occurrence in this book, and all of them were interesting and kept me wanting to read more!

What would you do if you woke up one morning to discover the moon had turned to cheese? This story , progressing through each day of a lunar cycle follows the reactions of people across the world as they deal to the new normal and learn the earths days are numbered.

Each chapter is a different point of view from the president, to religious believers, to highschoolers and the average Joe. Every one reacts differently, some more entertaining as others. My favorites were : The three old men at the diner, The rival cheese shop employees, the Highschool lunch bunch, Lyle and Austin's eclipse party text chain, and Lessa Sarah & Hector.

I really enjoy John Scalzi's writing and humor. When The Moon HIts Your Eye reads like a collection of short stories centered around the moon turning to cheese. Some I loved, some fell flat but overall entertaining. I do wish the ending had been a bit more explosive, if you've read it you know what I mean but o well lol

John Scalzi's latest begins with the discovery that the moon has miraculously become an "organic seeming compound" in the words of NASA, cheese to everyone else. When the Moon Hits Your Eye follows the events over the next month through a wide cast of characters as the world first tries to understand and then adapt to what seems a ridiculous premise, but actually has a high degree of danger and the possibility of annihilation.

Much of that initial reaction is shock, humor and for many astronauts, disappointment as the recently relaunched moon mission are cancelled. Focused on US citizens, we travel in the upper echelon with chapters focused on the president, upper level advisors and astronauts to the more dispersed population including an academic who just happened to write a book about moon myths, his publisher to a group of retiree friends at a diner, feuding cheese shops run by siblings and an excessively rich tech bro who has spent everything to get to space and maybe the moon first. There are also stand alone chapters satirizing or skewering specific groups or industries, like the one focused on banks figuring out how to ride the dystopia for the benefit of their bottom line or a Hollywood producer being pitched a full day's worth of moon or moon cheese related shows or movies just after the news is announced.

So as a whole, even though their is a clear narrative and passage of time, many of the chapters feel more episodic, revisiting certain characters as events unfold, sparing us a repetitive day by day life, but also distancing us some from journeying with the same person.

It's still mostly fun, and incisive, looking at how American society reacts to crisis, and sure most of that is greed and self centered, but others find it worthwhile to spend time with family, find love or finally have time for a long deferred dream.

Recommended to readers of contemporary fiction, dystopias or Wallace & Gromit's dream come true.

ARC - Tor Publishing Group

This book. This. BOOK.

I loved this book so much. This was my first John Scalzi novel, and when I finished this the other afternoon, I immediately panic bought 4 other of his books.

As the description states, the moon turns into cheese. From there, the story is told through multiple character's point of views on how the moon and its' sudden change effect everyone in their own way. While this book doesn't release until later March, meaning this books was written over a year ago. That said, Scalzi's writing is a scary accurate snapshot of the billionaire insanity we currently have throwing our constitution in the garbage, following by lighting it on fire with a can of Aqua Net,
Now, honestly, this book really lifted my spirits and gave me some literal 'LOLz', when I really needed it earlier this week. Well...really the last month, but I digress.
This story was wonderfully unique, and seeing everyone's thoughts and views on the sudden change of the moon from basically a rock, to an 'organic matrix," was truly a riot. Each perspective had it's own tone, without missing a beat. One of my top 2025 books, hands down. Yes, already.

Thanks so much to Tor Publishing for this ARC! I've already pre-ordered a hard copy!

I binged this in two days (where I should've definitely been doing other things) it's that compelling.
This book is literally amazing. And any book that references Congo (the movie IYKYK) deserves 5⭐ in my opinion.
This is a story about how Americans of all backgrounds would react if the moon turned to cheese. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, I implore you to pick this up. 💚

THANK YOU THANK THANK YOU to Tor and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review 💚 💚 💚 💚 you made my year with this one 💚

A fever-dream of the moon turning into cheese transcends its absurdist roots. I didn’t go into this book expecting to finish it in teary-eyed contemplation of my own morality, but here we are! Scalzi truly is one of a kind!

This book is about as ridiculous as it sounds. The moon mysteriously turns to cheese, and the world starts descending into chaos. There are some laugh out loud funny parts, but there are also some very serious parts with a surprising amount of depth, which you wouldn't expect at the beginning.

The book follows a whole host of characters throughout the cheese moon debacle, with each chapter being a different day and a different set of characters. Some of those characters do show up again in later chapters, so we get to see their reactions as the situation about the moon changes. Some of the chapters are very light, with minor discussions about what is happening. Some of them are cute, with fate meetings involving cheese. Some are rather exasperating, involving a very Elon Musk-ish character deciding he is the most important person on the planet and he can do whatever he wants because he has the money too. And some are rather moving, with characters actually thinking about what is going to happen to them and the Earth. There are also plenty of cheese puns, and everything is delivered in Scalzi's typical wit and humor. Any fan of Scalzi will enjoy this, along with anyone who enjoys a rather ridiculous sci-fi story.

Please Scalzi, never change.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Maybe John Scalzi lost a bet and had to write a book with a random premise. Somehow the moon turned into cheese. Actual cheese. Yet it works. This was an enjoyable read. There were so many different characters, most only in one chapter, yet you got sucked into liking them very quickly.

From what starts as something of a ridiculous premise - what would happen if the moon actually turned into cheese? - Scalzi creates a story that feels real. He's not so much interested in the science of what might or might not happen (although there is certainly some speculation along those lines), but rather how people and society would react. Along those lines, he nails it. From the individuals anticipating the end of the world to those calling it all a grand conspiracy to individuals, politicians, and corporations looking to figure out how to use the situation to benefit themselves, Scalzi provides a realistic landscape of perspectives and responses to a life and reality altering event like this. While he includes his typical humor throughout the book, it doesn't feel tongue-in-cheek. He's not playing this book for laughs, except for those that come from the ways in which people really might engage this scenario.

Structuring the book as a set of days across the lunar cycle and providing a ton of different perspectives creates a wide picture of how society might react and how that reaction would progress as more is understood and ramifications are discovered. This progression also leads to a more emotional book than is typical for Scalzi, but it really works.

In queso emergency: As other people have commented, this book has no business being this good. Scalzi uses a very silly premise to launch a humorous but poignant and thoughtful tale about normal people dealing with an unusual situation the best way they can. Over the course of a full moon cycle, Scalzi shares people reacting to an existential crisis in the time of an apocalypse, but many of the themes are also relevant to dealing with the existential crises of pandemics, war, and the political arena of our modern times. Like most Scalzi books, there was an equal amount of humor and seriousness, and a lot of humanity. I enjoyed it.

When The Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi


Finally! A return to form by one of my favorite authors. I’m a big fan of Mr. Scalzi’s work since I found Redshirts on the new books shelf at my local library years ago, and Ive been reading his website regularly for a long time. But his last few novels have been weaker than some of his earlier work, and I think it was due to his habit of rushing through writing them to make his deadlines (as he has eloquently described on his blog).

But I knew when I got the new John Scalzi book from NetGalley and Tor in exchange for an honest review that I would enjoy it - because I already read it!! I was at NYCC in October and got an ARC from the Tor booth and I got it signed by John Scalzi there. He was surprised because he hadn’t realized they would have hard copies available, and he said that my copy was the very first he had signed for this book!

The premise for this book is fun - suddenly without warning the entire moon - and all of the moon rocks on earth - turn to cheese. The book then has some vignettes and snapshots of how different people around the country are dealing with this.

In some of Scalzi’s more recent books, the protagonists have been glib and unpleasant ciphers, but not in this book. The characters feel like real people!

The format of the book is both a strength and a weakness. You don’t get to spend a lot of time with interesting characters before a new chapter starts and we leave them behind (often forever, though some recur in later segments). But a bigger flaw is the ending. With a high concept SF book like this, a lot of the value comes from the ultimate answers to the question of how did the big weird thing happen. Remember Stephen King’s Under the Dome? Remember how the ending cheapened the whole book and undercut everything? SPOILER ALERT: this isn’t as bad as in Under the Dome, but it’s close. There is no answer. The moon cheese just reverts back to moon rock. Nothing is ever explained. It’s left as a big mystery. This makes the book feel much more fantastical than science fictional, if that makes sense.

But, problems with the structure and ending aside, I really enjoyed this book. It was a total page turner and very readable. Best Scalzi book I’ve read in years.

Anyone who has read Scalzi’s meta sci-fi classic Redshirts or the wildly comedic Starter Villain knows that this author is not above playing with the genre’s established mythos. When the Moon Hits Your Eye throws science out the window with a world in which Earth’s satellite suddenly and without warning turns into cheese. Multiple characters react to this impossibility throughout the novel, including students, preachers, politicians, and, of course, scientists. The absurd premise is more about enjoying the wildly varying perspectives of what ends up being a series of interconnected short stories.

I loved this book so much. It's very relevant with It's "fake news" and unbelievable situations. I love how it switches from points of view from all over, although the story stays solid and doesn't feel like a compilation. I was amazed how it all stayed on the tracks and flowed completely. Scalzi has become one of my favorite authors. I love dystopian stories. This one adds real world scenarios and scifi. It's funny, which is one way I use to describe Scalzi, a funny Michael Crichton. However I'm sad, because although I'm still working through Scalzi's back catalog, he mentions in the afterword that he's done with this "loose conceptual trilogy" of novels. These novels are the only ones I've read so far, and inspired me to try his other works. I also read and loved the Head on books. Anyway if you want a fun book about the moon turning to cheese that seems like a real possibility, this is your book. Just like I believed cats could rule the world.

Huge thank you to Tor Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

If you want your sci fi books to start with elementary school moon fact, boy have I got the book for you! All jokes aside, what can you expect when you crack open a John Scalzi book? In his latest novel he posits what would happen if the moon was actually turned into cheese. If you guessed you’d be laughing within the first few pages, you’d be right.

The novel opens with Virgil Augustine who runs in a space and astronaut museum in Ohio. All seems normal until it’s discovered a slice of coveted moon rock has been stolen and a dupe left in its place. Or so he thinks. Not stolen exactly, but changed. Into cheese. In fact, every single lunar sample on Earth is now cheese, including the moon itself. What, you may ask yourself, does that mean for Earth? As it turns out, a lot.

We follow a timeline rather than a set group of protagonists, each chapter marking the days since the moon was made cheese, or rather an organic matrix, I mean. As each day ticks by, we see the impacts unfold on society. We get to see a few characters more than once, which sounds like it would be exhausting. I can assure you it’s not. Each chapter lays bare exactly what Americans would be doing when the moon turns to cheese in the most authentic way.

I zipped through this book. Even at the halfway point I couldn’t believe at how wrapped into this I was. I enjoyed the humor, the real people from all walks of life, and the cheese puns. You can’t be mad at the sheer scope of cheese puns, it’s truly a work of art.

Scalzi excels in writing laugh-out-loud dialogue with his characters. They are believable, human, and made for TV. I lost count of the times I would cackle out loud reading this. There were also more than a few times I found myself tearing up. Scalzi paints the full picture of being human in the face of an existential crisis, along with all the beautiful and ugly emotions that come with it.

Long story short, pick this book up and devour it. I promise you, it’s Gouda.

John Scalzi is a madman, and I love his sense of humor. What IF the moon was cheese? That’s the question at the heart of this book, and somehow, Scalzi manages to take this absurd premise and turn it into something hilarious and weirdly touching.

From the moment I saw the title, I had the song stuck in my head—and sure enough, Scalzi acknowledges it right away. That’s what I love about his writing: he knows exactly what you’re thinking and is already in on the joke. But don’t let the absurdity fool you; behind all the cheese (literal and figurative), there’s a really good story. I went in blind, knowing nothing about the plot, just trusting Scalzi to deliver. And he did. The book is a wild mix of satire, ridiculous science and unexpectedly endearing characters.

The structure works surprisingly well. Each chapter jumps between different characters, but it never feels confusing. Clyde, Dave, and Alton, the retirees at the café, were instant favorites. Vera and the senator made me laugh so hard. And then there’s Jody. Oh my god, Jody. He’s giving Elon Musk energy—no, scratch that, he IS Elon Musk (yes I know Elon is an actually character in the book but still, Jody is him, down to his awkward little dance) A billionaire with no actual genius, just the ability to buy other people’s work (with money he doesn’t even have). His entire existence filled me with rage, and I loved every second of hating him. If Don’t Look Up made you foam at the mouth, this will too.

The humor is spot on. Scalzi’s characters are always so quick-witted, and the absurdity of the premise is balanced by characters who feel real. Of course the rich are going to eat the moon cheese. Of course people break into song at the worst possible moment. The sheer audacity of the Imagine scene? I was cackling.

But then things take a turn. What starts as a goofy, satirical adventure slowly becomes apocalyptic, and suddenly, my anxiety skyrocketed. The existential dread crept in, and for a while, I wasn’t sure if Scalzi was going to let the world burn. I won’t spoil it but the way it all resolves is deeply satisfying. Some of the emotional moments, like Jackie and Ian’s story, even made me tear up.

Overall, this book is exactly what I wanted: silly, smart, and sharp, with just the right balance of absurdity and heart. It’s what I expected from this author—hilarious, self-aware, and way too fun. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go tell my friends I love them and prepare for the next apocalypse.

Did I expect a tongue-in-cheek story about the moon spontaneously turning into cheese to be one of my favorite reads of 2024?

Honestly, as a fan of Scalzi's other books and general style, I kind of did.

But the fact that When the Moon Hits Your Eye *still* managed to exceed my expectations in every regard should indicate what an absolute gem this story is, as Scalzi deftly interlaces sharp societal critique of everything from narcissistic billionaires, the decadent indulgences of the mega-wealthy, and the commercialization of religion with the bittersweet inevitability of our own mortality.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye is less a single cohesive narrative than a series of vignettes, though many of the characters recur throughout. The book's cheerfully absurd premise is a complimentary contrast to the realistic reactions of its broad cast of characters, who greet the revelation that the moon has abruptly and inexplicably turned into a mass of cheese (which the in-universe scientists repeatedly insist is not, technically, cheese, but cheese-like material) with all the skepticism, incredulity, and outright disbelief you might expect.

This initial shock and amusement, however, soon gives way to a looming sense of existential dread, as the replacement of our familiar moon with a curd-based impostor of far less mass has apocalyptic ramifications for the planet it orbits. This overwhelming anxiety--and how people deal with it, both individually and societally-- soon becomes the book's overarching theme. Governments scramble to address the crisis, old friends debate the philosophical ramifications of the change in their favorite diner, and pastors pray God for answers even as they tend their own fearful flocks. Egomaniacal billionaires and greedy tycoons seek to exploit the crisis for their own benefit, while feuding families reconcile and young people fall in love. Even in the face of unimaginable crisis--or perhaps especially then--people continue to act as people, Scalzi is telling us, and that just may be our saving grace when confronted with our own mortality. The moon will fall for each of us, eventually, so we may as well treat each other well until it does.

Everything I've written above is what When the Moon Hits Your Eye is about. Below is what it meant to me, personally.

Sometimes a book comes to you in exactly the moment when you most need it. For me, When the Moon Hits Your Eye was that book. Like many Americans, I found myself in a daze of shock, anger, and dread following the 2024 election, and the impending return of a certain convicted felon to the White House, and the dire ramifications thereof. For weeks I was unable to create, to focus, or even to read.

Then, on a long plane ride that Thanksgiving, I picked up When the Moon Hits Your Eye and inhaled it in only a handful of sittings. Here was a story about everyday people struggling to live their lives while a climactic disaster hung quite literally over their heads. Here was a story about people being afraid, and angry, and confused as they tried to make sense of a world apparently no longer interested in making sense. Here was a story about people being kind and gracious and understanding to one another as they realize, whether through the lens of philosophy, or religion, or simple human compassion that disaster that, in the face of our own mortality, the only real choice is whether or not to love each other.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the ARC. But most of all, thank you, John Scalzi, for writing this book. We're all going to need it in the time to come, just as we're all going to need one another.

After all, we always have.

The moon has suddenly and inexplicably turned to cheese (ahem, organic matrix, officially). The book follows several groups of people as society reacts to the news and wonders if this means apocalypse.

I wasn’t completely engaged in the book until the end, but I’m glad I stuck with it. It’s a satire on modern-day America, an exploration of human psychology, and a reminder that life is short. It’s funny, typical of Scalzi, but not laugh out loud. It’s smart and definitely has moments that put the science in science fiction. Scalzi is a great entry to sci-fi author because he’s accessible and funny. I always recommend starting with Old Man’s War. That’s a book I’ll definitely reread someday.

Thanks to @torbooks for the advance digital copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨

🌕 John Scalzi has done it again—this time with a wild, cheesy (literally) sci-fi romp that had me turning pages faster than a billionaire chasing clout.

🌕 The premise? The moon suddenly turns into cheese. Yes, cheese. And from there, Scalzi launches into a sharp, funny, and surprisingly thoughtful exploration of science, hoaxes, and how governments handle apocalyptic crises (spoiler: not well).

🌕 I read my first Scalzi book last year—Starter Villain—and it quickly became a top read of the year. So, I had high hopes going into this one, and it delivered in the best, most bonkers way, although I did miss the talking animals of Start Villain.

🌕 One of my favorite sequences? A billionaire stowing away on their *own* spaceship to be the first person to set foot on the cheese moon. It’s chaotic, it’s ridiculous, and honestly, it’s the perfect satire for the times we’re living in.

🌕 The narrative jumps between different characters a lot, which threw me at first. But in the afterword, Scalzi explains that each chapter corresponds to a different day in the lunar cycle and a different time zone. Knowing that upfront would’ve helped me settle into the structure—I was hoping for a little more continuity between some storylines.

🌕 But what really shines here is the social commentary. Scalzi blends humor and insight to skewer science denial, conspiracy culture, and the chaos of public response during a crisis. And the ending? Pure, hilarious gold. The epilogue alone is worth the read.

🌕 Big thanks to John Scalzi, Tor Books (one of my all-time favorite publishers!), and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

C-H-E-E-S-E. That spells Moon.

Okay…let’s back up a little and talk about John Scalzi and some of his previous works. I think Old Man’s War is a fantastic book and I really enjoyed most of the sequels. Scalzi is a great follow on social media (Go find him over at Bluesky) and has had a great blog for longer than most. Some of his more recent novels have been a little more hit-or-miss for me, though.

OK…sidebar to the sidebar… I have to get this off my chest. Scalzi’s 2014 novel Lock In was a good, fun sci-fi detective story, but I had really negative feelings about it for a long time. I listened to it as an audiobook and it was…confusing. The book itself was straight forward, but when I was still around 80-85 percent into the book, it felt like the book was wrapping up, but since there was so much time left, I figured that the final suspect was really a red herring and we’d get a swerve in the story any…minute…now.

And then the book was over. What the heck?

The final remaining time in my audiobook was a prequel story that Scalzi generously wrote and added to the novel. Which was great! -- except I either completely forgot or didn’t know about it at all, so my enjoyment of Lock In was severely hampered by a gift from Scalzi.

What does that have to do with this book? I guess I would say…as long as you know what you’re getting into, you’ll have a good time.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye. It’s good. It’s fun. I’m glad I read it. But…

Yeah. You have to know what you’re getting into. You’ll have a good time, but story-wise and genre-wise, this book isn’t what you might typically expect.

The structure of this book is unique. I was reminded of World War Z by Max Brooks as I went into it. If you haven’t read it, Brooks takes the idea of a world overrun by zombies and segments the book into eight chapters -- or vignettes. The central idea is there -- zombies -- but each story is its own thing. Slight connective tissue, but ultimately eight unique stories. Before the Brad Pitt movie came along, I had no idea how they would be able to make it into a film.

Here, Scalzi takes a crazy idea -- what if the moon suddenly turned into cheese -- and spends a lunar cycle (29 days) telling somewhat separate stories. What would diners in Iowa think about it? How would politicians in Las Vegas handle it? What happens when this strange cosmic event coincides with a launch for a moon-themed book? Some characters reappear on multiple days, but some stories (some of the funnier and more entertaining ones) are stand-alone one-offs. It’s a fascinating framing device for the story, which definitely turns out to be “lite sci-fi” in the end (I mean…how do you even take this concept and wrap the words “sci-fi” around it?).

I almost feel like with the craziness of the last decade and the emergence of conspiracy theory culture, Scalzi felt compelled to write this book, and I get it. Sometimes as a writer you just have to get some words on paper and off your chest. It made for a fun and entertaining book. I can see myself going back and re-reading segments and a few of the “days” of the novel, but in the end, I doubt I’ll revisit the entire book.

I’d recommend checking out When the Moon Hits Your Eye, just don’t expect hard sci-fi with your grilled cheese sandwich.