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.

⭐️3.75⭐️

What do you think would happen if the moon turned into an actual wheel of cheese? In this unique speculative sci-fi novel, this ‘what if?’ scenario comes to fruition, and we follow multiple characters as they adapt to this new world.

I find this book hard to rate because I knew it was going to be an outlandishly crazy ride given the premise, and for the most part, it was. I enjoyed the bizarre humor that I’ve come to expect with a Scalzi book, but I didn’t expect this story to showcase such an emotional view of humanity.

Each chapter represents a day in the lunar cycle and follows the story of a different character impacted by the moon suddenly turning to cheese. The pacing took a while for me to understand, but once I realized this story wasn’t entirely linear, I began to enjoy it to its fullest. Every chapter felt like a unique short story and even though the chapters weren’t too long, every character presented was perfectly fleshed out and believable.

I loved how this book pokes fun at our current political climate by using characters that mirror real people in ridiculous scenarios that unfortunately feel very believable. A billionaire overriding NASA and all safety procedures to be the first one to fly to the cheese moon? Yeah, painfully realistic.

My only real complaint with this book is that the ‘why’ behind the moon’s transformation was never explained. I think this is an element that is meant to make the book magical, but I was left feeling a lack of closure when I finished. I wasn’t a fan of how the ending didn’t really resolve any particular story either.

Overall, I enjoyed this read for its funny and hopeful view of humanity during the state of sudden chaos. I don’t think everyone will enjoy this read though due to how ridiculous it is. If you enjoyed any of Scalzi’s previous books, then you’d probably enjoy this one too.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

“When the Moon Hits Your Eye” by John Scalzi is the story of a crazy month on planet Earth (each chapter representing one day in that lunar cycle) in which the moon turns into cheese.

Don’t be scared off by this if you don’t like SciFi or speculative fiction. As hard as it may be to believe, the book isn’t really about the moon itself as much as it is the way people on earth react to this unexplained phenomenon.

It’s a quick and easy read that will pretty much grip you from page one and is funny, touching, whimsical and absurdist, and thought provoking. Each chapter/vignette features different characters and a different tone. This book really is unlike anything I’ve read before but I’ll say it feels most similar to “Nothing to See Here” by Kevin Wilson, “A Visit from the Goon Squad” by Jennifer Egan, and George Saunders’ “Liberation Day”. I heartily recommend this book to all kinds of readers. What an unusual and delightful read.

I was thrilled to get an early read of this novel—I’ve devoured almost everything Scalzi has written. He’s a versatile and consistently entertaining writer, whether he’s tackling serious stories like the Old Man’s War and Interdependency series or exploring the delightful absurdity of Starter Villain.

Scalzi has never let me down. So despite a premise that made Kaiju Preservation Society sound like hard science fiction, I dove in. Earth’s moon has… turned into cheese? Potential snarky comments about Scalzi’s writing curdling in a similar fashion are so obvious that I’d be milking a cheap joke by making them—so I’ll grate-fully refrain before things get whey out of hand. And to my pleasant surprise, I loved this book.

I went in knowing nothing about When the Moon Hits Your Eye beyond a premise so ridiculous it felt like Scalzi had written it on a dare. What I got was a roller coaster of young love, existential dread, writer’s block, last chances, and the terrifying realization that the universe has suddenly stopped playing by the rules. (Oh, and a thin slice of billionaire karma.)

Each chapter unfolds over a different day, starting with the moon’s sudden dairy-based transformation and spiraling from there. You’ll meet fantastic characters, encounter surprisingly poignant explorations of reality and mortality, and find a bit of painfully observant commentary on how society reacts to the inexplicable.

All in a book about the moon turning into cheese.

Make no mistake—this novel does not take itself seriously. If you’re here for cheese puns, you will leave deeply satisfied.

If I have one complaint, it’s that some characters were so compelling I felt a little robbed getting only a single chapter with them, with maybe a supporting appearance in a later chapter. I’m not saying I want an Old Man’s War-length saga about celestial bodies turning into various foodstuffs, but I would love to spend more time with Lessa Sarah and Nelson, the cheese shop kids, or the Oklahoma guys.

But when a plate of just cheese leaves you wanting more after you’ve cleaned it off—that’s some damn good cheese. And this is a damn entertaining book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for the advance copy of this delightful novel!

A funny yet thought-provoking science-fiction novel about the moon turning into cheese. Told from the perspectives of multiple characters, When the Moon Hits Your Eye opens with the moon transforming into a cheese-like substance, throwing the world into chaos. What follows is a series of loosely interconnected vignettes that portray how different people are affected by the moon. From the astronauts preparing to set foot on the moon to a decades-long feud between cheese shops in Wisconsin to a nonfiction author who suddenly finds himself in the global spotlight, these stories reveal the humanity—both good and bad—within us.

Scalzi has crafted a delightful, multi-point-of-view narrative about humanity and how we might react when the unthinkable occurs. At times funny and hopeful, yet sometimes depressingly sobering and too close to home, this cheeseful adventure is one you won’t want to miss!

If you liked Starter Villian, this one is wackier but just as fun and out there.
For fans of Hitchhikers Guide.

One of my favorite books I read last year- and I immediately bought it for our library's Great Reads section! Hopeful, fun, and lighthearted in the way only Scalzi can do, the premise is fun and the characters are even better. Each chapter feels like a complete arc, and you're rooting for characters and science each step of the way. I laughed out loud at multiple points, and can't wait to recommend it to readers (I already told my entire family they need to get ready to read it!).

I love Scalzi's humor, there aren't enough funny sci-fi books and his are my go-to.

With that said, while this was a good attempt at making this premise interesting... this wasn't my favorite book by him.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye is a perfect example of what Diane Callahan termed curio fiction. This book (like Starter Villain before it) is the link between the zany-but-just-this-side-of-believable satire of Christopher Buckley and the screwball fantasy of Jasper Fforde. Highly enjoyable, and an excellent escapist read.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got this as an eGalley from NetGalley to review..

Thoughts: DNF'd at 50% of the way through. I am generally a big fan of Scalzi's stories; I like his humor and off-the-wall premises. I really tried to finish this but realized I was completely ambivalent about the story. The premise is a bit too far-fetched, and the book was just too disjointed.

The moon turns to cheese and humanity has to deal with this now. What follows are looks into the lives of various people at how they react to this. One theme that does continue to throughout this story is billionaires trying to take advantage of this strange occurrence.

The first part of the story seems like it is ridiculous but also sort of funny in a goofy way. Then we start jumping from sector to sector and hearing how everyone is affected by the moon being cheese. It was really disjointed. We rarely see the same characters twice, and I struggled to follow how anything was related to anything else. I think Scalzi is trying to make some social commentaries around billionaires here but I am struggling to figure out what they are (aside from the most basic billionaires are unrealistic, wasteful, and have huge egos).

This went quickly from potentially entertaining to flat out boring and ridiculous. I kept sticking with it, hoping that the story would come together at some point. Then I realized I was avoiding picking up my Kindle because I didn't want to struggle through more of this....so, it was time to stop.

As I said, I am a huge Scalzi fan, but this was just a miss for me. It doesn't come off as clever or even intriguing and definitely not as funny.

My Summary (2/5): Overall I found this disappointing. The premise is far-fetched but seemed like it might work for the story. However, things just get sillier and sillier and more disjointed as the story continues. We hop between many different people and how the moon being cheese affects them. Unfortunately, their stories never really came together with the main story. This started to feel like a bunch of random silly thoughts and maybe an effort at some political statement that I didn't quite grasp. I am a huge Scalzi fan, but this was a miss for me

I haven’t been a John Scalzi fan for long, having only first read The Kaiju Preservation Society in September 2024. That was enough to make me fall in love with his writing, though. I promptly read Redshirts (review of that is on my TikTok) in November and then Starter Villain in December of the same year. So when I saw I could get an ARC of his next book, When the Moon Hits Your Eye, I knew I had to try.

It’s a science fiction novel about Earth’s moon turning into a giant ball of cheese. That’s what it’s about on the surface, at least. It’s outrageous and highly unlikely to ever happen (science says to never discredit the improbable). Underneath, however, it’s a lot deeper.

Each chapter of the book explores a different character or group of characters, showing how they react to such an unbelievable event. Unfortunately, because the story unfolds this way, it’s difficult to get attached to any of them. You can argue that’s not what it’s about (and it’s not) but it made the story feel disjointed. I struggled picking up the book a few times because of a lack of interest in what was happening. It doesn’t need to be a character driven story, but I do want something more than what this was.

I don’t know if it was intentional or I was simply reading too much into it, but it seemed like the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) were explored throughout. Granted, it would take a the most well-adjusted human on the planet to not be in disbelief after learning the moon turned into cheese, so experiencing denial initially is to be expected. But the other stages are displayed by riots (anger) chanting “Fuck the moon,” a woman refusing to get out of her bed (depression) with the curtains closed in her resort suite, and more. Whether intentional or not, it was fascinating, regardless.

The ending was uninspiring and too simple, as well. Could I have done better? Most likely not. I guess I expected more.

Overall, it was a decent novel. I think it was a realistic look at how different people around the world would react to such a life-changing event and everything that comes along with it. Billionaires would still be greedy, people would express regret, others would try to rationalize it all, and chaos would gradually envelope the entire world.

I don’t think When the Moon Hits Your Eye is Scalzi’s best work. Granted, this is only the fourth book of his I’ve read. I would rank it 3rd or 4th, depending on my mood. Like I said, I found myself struggling to even care about picking it up again and the only reason I finished it was because I was so damn curious how it would end. Sure, it got me to read the book, but I wish there was a little more to it than that.

Scalzi always makes me wonder where we are heading, leaving me a bit confused for a bit, but when it comes together, it's a homerun. This book was no different. Even with a book about something as silly as the moon turning into cheese, he makes you think about social and economic issues.

I read this book in two sittings. One of the sitting was about an hour. The second sitting was most of today....

The premise of this book- the moon suddenly turns into cheese and everyone has to just kinda deal with that- lends itself well to the way the story is told; as a series of vignettes, some of which continue, many of which are one time looks at characters. The book is full of humor, warmth, and the occasional very serious depth.

This is a great book. I loved the patchwork view of the world and the different lenses Scalzi examined his premise through. It's a tough story to end...he very nearly wrote himself into a corner. But the ending worked.

Another good read from Scalzi!

4.5 rounded up!
WHEN THE MOON HITS YOUR EYE is a story that only John Scalzi could think up. The premise? What happens when the Moon becomes an "organic matrix" aka cheese. How would the world respond in the digital age? Filled with humor, contemplation, and, honestly, scarily accurate responses, this book is one that is an interesting read and is a unique story.

The blend of a number of things made this story one that has stuck with me in the few days since I've read it. The concept is one that seems so outrageous it could never work. But it does. I enjoyed all the facets of such a strange idea come to life and how the moon turning into cheese would impact the way people live in 2025. Touching on very real topics, through this satirical approach and such an idea was an extremely clever way to tell this story. One that I think speaks to how skillful the author is as a writer. I even had to put it down a few times because the situations and reactions felt too REAL, even for a fictional story about moon cheese. And that says a lot about the author's talent.

The reason this isn't a five star read for me is because of the organization of the story. This is told vignette style, with the moon turning to cheese being the central thread holding the narrative together. There is no true main character, though the characters appear in each other's stories. This wasn't what I was expecting and, while narratively interesting, I wanted a main character and a central conflict beyond just a new character's reactions to the premise. 

Overall, this was a really complex and engaging story. While the narrative style might not have been fully for me, it was an incredibly written book that I think is worth the read, especially if you liked Don't Look Up or other stories of that genre. To me, I think this book is a masterclass in writing.
Thank you to Tor Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi isn’t structured like a traditional novel. Instead, each chapter is a character vignette, offering glimpses into how different people react when the moon suddenly turns into cheese—and how society as a whole handles this bizarre event. Through these snapshots, we see a wide range of human responses, from the practical to the absurd, all tied together by an overarching narrative.

This book is both humorous and deeply philosophical. Scalzi does a fantastic job exploring the many ways people might react to such an impossible situation, highlighting the quirks and resilience of humanity. His writing is smooth and engaging, making for an easy yet thought-provoking read. I laughed, I cried, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

The author even acknowledges in the afterword that the science here is loosey-goosey —so don’t go in expecting scientific accuracy. Instead, just suspend disbelief and embrace the ride. If you’re looking for a poignant, funny, and insightful take on human nature in the face of the absurd, this book is for you.

Thanks to TOR publishing and NetGalley for the gifted ARC

When the Moon Hits Your Eye releases on March 25, 2025, make sure to check it!

One day, without warning or cause, the Moon turns into an organic matrix that appears to be… cheese. For the length of a lunar cycle, we hop between multiple POVs as humanity grapples with this new reality.

It’s a credit to Scalzi that such a ridiculous concept is successfully stretched into a full-length novel that’s enjoyable. Scalzi himself describes the book as the third in a loose, unconnected trilogy of books about regular humans thrust into high-concept situations. (The other books are Kaiju Preservation Society and Starter Villain.)

The different POVs are a pretty interesting approach. It means, fundamentally, there isn’t a true main character (or characters) in the book, though several POVs are repeated. Instead, it shows a cross-section of American citizens and shows how, no matter what happens, people are going to people in both the best and worst ways– create interesting things, fall in love, make money, cheat one another, and so on. I prefer character driven books myself, but I think I still got the main message.

This tactic also partially ameliorates what I think of as the biggest flaw in Scalzi’s writing: every smart character is just Scalzi. Female character? Scalzi in a wig. Child character? Scalzi walking on his knees. Only spending a bit of time with most of the characters in the book gave me less time to picture each one of them as Scalzi himself.

Throughout the book, I couldn’t help but wish, despite the looming apocalypse, that we lived in a world where our biggest problem was the Moon turning into cheese.

I’m in a quandary of how to rate this. I think I enjoyed it at about a three-star level, in part because of the lack of satisfaction on certain matters, but the book did make me reflect more than I expected on the nature of humanity, so I’m rounding this up to 4-stars.