This was actually my first Scalzi read - sand I admit I was pleasantly surprised! A book centered on a snapshot of characters realistically trying to respond as best as they can to the moon turning to cheese of all things was a nice mix between an almost childishly absurd premise and total sincerity. Between the general plot and the way that the book is basically a collection of short stories, it turned out to be a quick, fun, and (mostly) light read that breezed by over the course of a weekend.

John Scalzi has said that he considers this book the third in a thematically related trilogy, the first two entries of which are Kaiju Preservation Society and Starter Villain. When I say that I think this one is the weakest entry, that does not mean I think it’s a bad book or not worth reading. The other two books are absolutely fantastic, and this one has a few flaws that Scalzi can’t quite smooth out.

The premise is very funny--what if the moon literally turned to cheese? How would the world/politics/technology/astronomy DEAL with it. (Spoiler alert: Not well lol). If you’re a fan, as I am, of Scalzi’s irreverent, funny tone, you’ll still find a lot to like here. Where I thought this book was slightly lacking was in the fact that it’s almost more a collection of loosely related short stories. This means that we don’t have a consistent narrator to follow, to root for, to hang our hat on, which means there are some structural problems with pacing and plot.

The plot is...weaker, as unfortunately Scalzi hasn’t done much other than have the initial thought of the premise, which means the disconnected vignettes feel scattered and disorganized, and there’s not a consistent character to buttress against that feeling.

To be clear, I enjoyed reading this and had a great time. But it’s not Scalzi’s best work and you’d be better off starting with Kaiju or Starter Villain to get a taste of his style. If you liked both of those you’ll still probably have a good time here, just set expectations appropriately.

I received an ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Links to be added once posted closer to pubdate

I want to start off by saying I love John Scalzi’s books and his writing. I think I have read everything (or just about everything) he has published and his stuff is some of my favorite stuff. I will probably reread the Collapsing Empire series soon, because I miss the story and characters, and his stuff is rich enough to enjoy multiple times.

This book is pretty far fetched, very much along the lines of the last two books: Starter Villain and Kaiju Preservation Society. These are my least favorite of all his books, but they were each entertaining in their way.

This one started off slow for me because I had a really tough time with the premise. The characters were varied and interesting and by the time I got 80% into the book, I did start to care about the characters, and even shed a few tears. I laughed aloud a few times, as well, so a book that makes me laugh and cry is worth my time to read.

This is the part of the review where I recommend other, similar books, and I can think of no other books exactly like this one. I can say that if you like John Scalzi’s writing, you would probably enjoy Andy Weir and Ernest Cline, and vice-versa. The only other book that comes to mind when thinking of this one is How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler but I can’t put my finger on exactly why—maybe because they’re both preposterous yet entertaining?

While I didn't love this book as much as others by this author, I really enjoyed writing this review.

John Scalzi tackles the age-old question that has haunted humanity since time immemorial: What would happen if the moon spontaneously turned into cheese? Would it collapse under its own dairy-based density? Would NASA suddenly have to factor brie propulsion into its rocket calculations? Would the tides be, dare I say, cheesier?

Rather than veer into whimsical nonsense (like galactic fondue parties with the alien overlords), When The Moon Hits Your Eye plays it straight—well, as straight as one can when writing about an astronomical body inexplicably made of a dairy-based product. Scalzi applies actual scientific reasoning to this absurd premise, exploring everything from the structural integrity of a cheese-based celestial object (shockingly stable, though prone to some inconveniently dramatic geysers) to the societal chaos of an edible satellite. Governments panic. NASA has a collective aneurysm. The populace loses its collective mind.

And then there are the characters, a glorious buffet of personalities who react to the situation in varying degrees of madness. Two sibling cheese shop owners find themselves at the center of an interstellar dairy debate, their romantically inclined employees providing ample opportunity for chaos (one might even call it a camembert of errors). A failed sci-fi writer, struggling to process the fact that reality is now stranger than fiction, sees a second chance at success—finally, the moon is giving him some cheddar. A billionaire space explorer, predictably self-absorbed, treats the event as his own personal marketing campaign, proving that no matter how astronomical the stakes, some people will always try to milk a situation for all it’s worth. And of course, a Southern Minister finds himself wrestling with deep theological implications of a moon that is both holy and hole-y. Throw in mock news articles, confused government officials, and Reddit threads that range from plausible to full-blown conspiracy madness (is the moon truly a fine-aged gouda, or is this a government cover-up?), and you’ve got a novel that reads like an extended, incredibly well-researched cosmic joke.

Most importantly, this book mentions the word “cheese” 378 times. Whether that fills you with delight or existential dread is probably the best litmus test for whether you’ll enjoy it. Either way, you’ll want to brace yourself for a truly epic, dairy-fueled adventure that’s as sharp as aged parmesan and as smooth as a well-melted raclette.

Thanks to John Scalzi, Tor Books, and NetGalley for the ARC. Pub Date: March 25, 2025. Make sure to pre-order—just in case the moon actually turns to cheese, and we need to be prepared. Because let’s be honest, that would be an udder disaster if we weren’t ready. OK I’m done. 🤣

The Moon is.... Cheese!!! Yes the moon has turned into cheese and in John Scalzi's newest book he's going let you take a virtual walk on.... well... cheese!

One day when the occupants of Earth look up into the sky, the Moon looks a little brighter. Suddenly the samples of moon rock held in various locations of the world, well they don't look like moon rock anymore. In fact they look like cheese! Everyone from experts to the retired guys down at the diner have an opinion on what's going on, but exactly what is going on?

The second I heard about this book, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I'm a huge fan of Scalzi's other books, especially The Kaiju Preservation Society and Starter Villain. He writes perfectly witty, funny science fiction, and since my favourite food is cheese, this had to be my idea of heaven right? Well of course it was!

As the story progresses from astonishment to figuring out what is going on, the reader goes through the lunar cycle with a whole cascade of characters. My favourite were the three retired guys in a diner, contemplating whether the moon was cheese and what kind of cheese. Of course, I want to know what kind of cheese too!!

If you like quirky, funny science fiction books you need to pick up When The Moon Hits Your Eye! Come for the cheese, but stay for a particular space-loving billionaire who gets his just desserts! or should that be "just cheese"!

John Scalzi tackles the age-old question of what would happen if the moon spontaneously turned into cheese. Rather than go off in a whimsical direction with space mining or lunar mice, "When The Moon Hits Your Eye" addresses the topic seriously, considering the physics of the problem (not to worry, its mass remains the same by the moon becoming a bit larger), its impact on space agencies like NASA (not good), and how the general populace would react to an organic satellite. It's much more reflective and even sports geysers as the cheese finds its ostensible equilibrium as a massive spinning ball.

Lots of amusing characters populate the story, from dueling sibling cheese shop owners (and their romantically entangled employees) to a failed sci-fi author and a predictably self-absorbed billionaire space explorer. For most of the book, it's hilarious, with mock news articles, governments wrestling with the implications of a cheesy moon, even Reddit conspiracy subgroups arguing about whether it's a real event or just agitprop.

Unfortunately, the last portion of the book feels like Scalzi was just adding filler to hit a required page count, with overlong dialogs between couples and groups about mostly irrelevant topics. Yes, the dialog is breezy and engaging, but the overall sense was that the book was a novella stretched out to a novel. The last few chapters in particular are depressing; if you're triggered by suicide and self-harm, you might want to wrap up your reading maybe 50-70 pages early.

"When The Moon Hits Your Eye" was a mixed read for me. I'm a big Scalzi fan, but while the first half of the book is laugh out loud funny and appropriately snarky for our modern era, the last portion felt forced and was more of a chore to finish. Still, ya gotta wonder, what if the moon did spontaneously turn cheesy??

I'm so sad, both because I didn't love this book even though I generally love Scalzi, and because the last 25% or so of the book was depressing. It was the sort of depressing that bleeds into my real mood and I have to stop and remind myself that my mood is because of a book and not my reality. I suppose that means this is a well-written book in that it affected me like that, but it was not a book I enjoyed. I was also not a fan of the device of different characters in each chapter (with a few repeats here and there). I couldn't get into the story when I had to work out relationships and characters in every chapter. But, as I said, my main issue is the darkness of characters facing their mortality. And even more than that, the discussions about the ways in which the world will collapse before it ends and the futility of doing anything. And if I'd chosen a book full of melancholy on purpose because I was in the mood to wallow, that would be fine. But I choose a book by an author who writes sarcastic, cynical comedy where the moon turns to cheese! And although I expected that something might come along to change the course of events, it was a real God in the Machine moment.

Did no one tell me the book about the moon turning to cheese would make me cry several times, get chills, and look at my spouse and say, "I love you"? I feel someone ought to have.

This was a fantastic book. Scalzi caught me completely by surprise by the ridiculous premise, introducing a series of characters I loved to meet for a little while. Even when The Thing happened to That Guy, and I should have just laughed, I felt a mournful disquiet. It would have just been a joke in a weaker author's hands. Instead, I loved them a little, no matter how extreme the focal character.

And that section about the novelist born of geeky parents? Oh, I felt that.

Incredibly tense at times. Scalzi took me on a journey, and I was kept awake getting in another chapter to see what might happen the following day.

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.