So... overnight... the moon turns into cheese. Not only does it do this, but to maintain tides, it has to stay the same mass so it expands. The scientists know this cos as the moon changes, so do all the moon rocks that have been collected. Weird huh...
We then follow a whole eclectic bunch of people as they all try and make sense of what is happening and how it affects them, or doesn't. Kinda in a self contained connected short story kinda way.
And as with all short story collections, if you are like me, you will like some more than others. We hear from the CEO of an aerospace company, a school dropout, a cheese shop owner (loved that one), and many many more people from all walks of life.
All delivered in a witty and rather bonkers way. And with an overall story arc running throughout as all the time the moon is still made of cheese and things are happening to it that, well, could be tricky... and perilous...
As there are a lot of vignettes, there are also a lot of characters but I honestly wouldn't get too bogged down in the majority as often they are one and done and play no further part.
There's also quite a lot to think about come the end of the book, but I think this will differ on a personal level so I will say no more about it. Suffice to say I got my own food for thought out of it all...
It's also my first book by this author... which means that I now have a whole back catalogue to add to my tbr as what he did here really intrigued me and I both gelled with his style of writing and sense of humour... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Headlines:
Metaphor
Cheesy puns
Billionaires without brains

This sci-fi carried a storyline based in the ridiculous but Scalzi managed to make it engaging and to some degree believable in terms of society's reactions. The moon turned into organic matter (cheese) one evening and it had global effects.

Told in a number of POVs that somehow worked, we saw small town sheriffs, billionaire rocket owners (side eye), NASA, the president of the US (not in orange) and all sorts of random societal perspectives. I don't like lots of POVs but I can say, in this case, it mapped the story well.

The underlying issue of an organic moon couldn't really be explained but the impact it had on earth was fascinating. The conspiracy theories, the Christians blaming the devil and some end of world frenzy felt accurate.

I was lingering in the 3.5 rating but the way the story ended really pulled it up to 4 stars for me. The clever finish and commentary after events was spot on. Cheese puns aside, this really is worth the silliness.

Thank you to Tor for the review copy.

Sweet dreams are made of cheese
Who am I to dis a Brie
I cheddar the world and a Feta cheese
Everybody's looking for Stilton
(Sweet Dreams are Made of Cheese - parody song from the Internet, to the tune of the Eurythmics song Sweet Dreams Are Made of This)


Award winning John Scalzi has a varied career to date. He’s written about old military soldiers in a Heinlein/Starship Troopers kind of space opera way (Old Man’s War and associated books), parodied Star Trek (Redshirts) and James Bond (Starter Villain), imagined a future with Godzilla/Kaiju monsters (The Kaiju Preservation Society) and now this.

From the publisher: “One day, suddenly and without explanation, the moon turns into a ball of cheese.
For some, it’s an opportunity. For others, it’s time to question their life choices. How can the world stay the same in the face of such absurdity and uncertainty?

Astronauts and billionaires, comedians and bank executives, professors and presidents, teenagers and patients at the end of their lives – over the length of a lunar cycle, each gets their moment in the moonlight. To panic, to plan, to wonder and to hope, to laugh and to grieve. All in a story that goes all the places you’d expect, and to many others you could never anticipate. For the people of the earth, this could be the end – or the beginning of a whole new world.”

Scalzi manages to take a very, very silly idea – namely that the moon is actually made of cheese – and run with it. There’s as much science as the idea can sustain (clue: not that much) but the premise is there really to describe, with some humour, the effects on the citizens of America. There also just happens to be an egotistical billionaire (wonder who Scalzi could be thinking of?) and a President who needs things kept simple. (who’d a thought it?)

In this book what Scalzi does best – and is very good at – is take an impossible, absurd situation and tell us about how people are affected by it. (In his afterword he refers to this as “Everyday people dealing with an extremely high concept situation, in contemporary time.”) And this, I think, is Scalzi’s superpower, for when he writes of his diverse range of characters - from high school students, small businesses, and small town churchgoers to NASA, the Banks and the politicians - he makes each vignette feel real, and that’s a tough line to follow in such a ridiculous situation.

There are moments here that just made me think that whatever the disaster, their responses would be the same. I was left wondering how many of them actually ended their story however, as we are just left to wonder at the end of the novel.

In short, though, When The Moon Hits Your Eye is a science fiction story that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and yet has something meaningful to say. In it generally people can be good, empathy can be valuable and villains get what they deserve. To my mind, it’s all rather Frank Capra-esque but with a science-fictional angle, a little bit like the film Don’t Look Up (2021) perhaps, but with more SF.

I know that some will see this book as ‘too silly’ (thoughts of Monty Python here), whilst others like me will admire the way Scalzi has managed to make such an idea readable. I found that it was a much-needed tonic in these present times, to remind us that even when things seem bad, they are not forever, and that even when things are tough there are good things happening. Even when we think we are at the worst, we should still be able to love and laugh. When The Moon Hits Your Eye made me do that.

Big thanks to @bookbreakuk and @panmacmillan for having me on this book tour and sending me a copy of the book.

I've read two John Scalzi Books before - 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘢𝘪𝘫𝘶 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 and 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘝𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 - and really enjoyed them both, so I JUMPED at the opportunity to get my hands on the latest installment of his wacky, unique, and just plain FUN sci-fi.

In 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙃𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙀𝙮𝙚 we are presented with yet another madcap scenario: What would happen if one day the moon inexplicably turned to cheese?

What follows is a series of vignettes where we get to experience this idea from different POVs, from astronauts preparing for a moon landing, to megalomaniac billionaires (cough), to cheesemongers. This was a really fantastic format for me, reminding me of 'How High We Go in the Dark'...but comedy 😅 In all seriousness though, I felt this format really worked well for Scalzi and this book in particular, allowing him to dip into some more emotionally impactful scenarios as well as his usual humour.

I randomly have a lot of friends working in physics and astronomy, and the first thing one of them said when I showed them this book was "well if it has the density of cheese we're all screwed", so colour me impressed that this is in fact addressed, and remains one of the key issues of tension through the book - this isn't just a social thought-experiment, I get the feeling Scalzi really did his research here so he could explore the physical impacts too.

Scalzi is such a welcome addition to my reading roster. I've said it before and I'll say it again, his books are so much fun, and they're perfect for switching things up when my TBR's feeling a little heavy or I've got a lot going on and could just do with a giggle.

If you've enjoyed other John Scalzi books, definitely look out for 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙃𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙀𝙮𝙚 when it hits shelves on the 27th March; and if you haven't read him yet, give this one a try next time you're looking for something light-hearted, entertaining and entirely unexpected.

John Scalzi goes all Irwin Allen in his new novel When the Moon Hits Your Eye.

In this new book, Scalzi runs with the absurdist premise of what would happen if the moon inextricably turns into cheese and what effect this would have on the population of Earth.

Now whilst the premise may seem utterly bonkers, Scalzi deftly turns away from the action of the moon turning into a molten lump of dairy to focus upon the lives of a number of different people and manages to inject the book with a surprising amount of pathos and heart.
The book itself doesn’t focus on a narrative arc but instead introduces a wide range of characters and different scenarios and how the general public, politicians and other officials deal with the situation. Some of these can be quite comical, some can be heart warming and others can be quite scathing, especially towards the political and corporate institutions that interfere with our everyday life.

Whilst The Moon Hits Your Eyes may not resonate with everyone, the book was an enjoyable one that highlights how we as a society deal with forces outside our control.

Absurd but Surprisingly Thought-Provoking & Fun ⭐

What if the moon turned into cheese? Not metaphorically, not figuratively—but literally. Overnight, poof—the moon is now cheese. Scientists are baffled. Conspiracy theorists are thrilled. Billionaires see a golden (or gouda 😝) opportunity. And humanity .. well, humanity does what it does best .. panics, profits and speculates wildly.

As someone new to Scalzi’s work, I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised by his fast-paced, witty style. This was an absurd yet oddly grounded thought experiment on how the world would react to a cosmic impossibility. The story unfolds in vignettes, each chapter offering a new perspective - NASA astronauts scrambling to make sense of lunar cheese, a megalomaniac billionaire determined to claim his slice of history, cheese shop owners reveling in the sudden boom, and a pastor guiding a bewildered congregation through celestial uncertainty. It’s a mix of satire, social commentary and sheer ridiculous fun, all wrapped up in a rather entertaining narrative.

Scalzi masterfully balances humor with a surprising amount of poignancy. Yes, this book is full of laughs (expect lots of cheese puns - there’s no escaping them) but beneath the absurdity lie sharp reflections on media frenzy, scientific speculation and how humans, for better or worse, adapt to change. While the vignette style meant I didn’t get deeply attach to any characters—something I tend to need being a character-driven reader—the interconnected glimpses into this bizarre new reality still kept me thoroughly engaged. (Though a deeper connection to the characters would have definitely elevated the experience even further- I just wanted more from everyone, I’m greedy 😂 )

Overall, this was ridiculous, clever and a wildly entertaining ride.

📖 Huge thanks to @panmacmillan & @bookbreakuk for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've been wanting to try John Scalzi's work for a while, so I was very happy to have the opportunity to read his upcoming book. I have some mixed feelings, but I had a good experience overall.

I was surprised to find that this was a collection of interconnected stories that changed character each chapter. After a while, I lost track of who was who and had more interest in certain characters than others. However, this method of storytelling meant that the impact of the moon turning into cheese was examined through multiple lenses and people from many walks of life. I liked this concept a lot! Rather than writing a conventional sci-fi novel, Scalzi instead focused on human relationships. I found the stories to be thought-provoking and varied.

I was highly engaged at first due to the strong start. In my opinion, the pacing tapered off a bit from the middle onwards. Some of the plotlines were more transient, so I didn't feel the fulfilment of finding out what happened to the characters. Regardless, the writing and characterisation were strong. There were some laugh-out-loud moments, as well as some skilful social critiques. I would like to read more of John Scalzi's work in the future.

One day, suddenly and without explanation, the moon turns into a ball of cheese. How could you read that line and not want to read this book? It’s both absurd and amazing. John Scalzi has a very unique sense of humor that really resonates with me. I laughed a lot throughout the book. I highly recommend it, along with his other works. I can't wait to add this book to my shelf and look forward to reading his next story. Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi is a wildly unique and thoroughly engaging read. The premise—where the moon inexplicably turns to cheese—is as silly as it sounds, but Scalzi turns it into an entertaining and thought-provoking story. Told from a variety of perspectives, each chapter offers a fresh viewpoint, from astronauts to billionaires, and even conspiracy theorists, keeping the narrative unpredictable and fun.

The book expertly blends speculative science with everyday human implications, offering a thorough take on how a seemingly absurd event could radically alter life on Earth. Some chapters are more science-focused, while others delve into humor or heartfelt moments, making for a well-rounded experience. Scalzi’s sharp writing and subtle commentary on wealth and power, especially through characters like Jody Bannon, the billionaire obsessed with the moon, resonate deeply in today’s world.

The pacing is strong, though the story shifts towards a more serious tone in the latter half, as potential catastrophic events unfold. Despite this, it never loses its humour and charm. The ending is satisfying, bringing everything together and promoting some poignant reflection.

While the middle of the book feels a bit chaotic at times, the clever writing, engaging characters, and unique perspective more than make up for it.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye is an unforgettable read that’s equal parts ridiculous and profound, and it’s definitely worth the ride.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye is not for kids, but it is very funny until it turns serious, when it gets philosophical. Sort of Star Trek meets Monty Python meets On The Beach. Or is it Hitchhiker meets Deep Impact? As it says in the blurb, what would happen if the moon suddenly turned into cheese? Scientists, politicians, religious leaders high and low, international relations, the lives of the astronauts preparing for their life dream of landing on the moon… and low-lifes looking for any way of making money out of the chaos that ensues. The author leaves no stone unturned. From billionaires seeking oneupmanship to the LA commissioning editor interviewing film proposals one after the other, well, those are particularly funny. A little later it becomes introspective, and very gentle. I thought the ending was getting weak—and then it wasn’t.

It’s very readable, extremely enjoyable, and John Scalzi writes a mean cliffhanger. The plot with its disparate strands hangs together surprisingly well. Among the light-heartedness there are some serious questions, stupid billionaires, some of whom are in danger of bankruptcy, and some excellent pseudoscience, all of which I enjoyed. So much so that I could not put it down!

Thanks to netgalley for giving me access to a digital copy of this book. It started out hilarious and interesting. The more characters got introduced however, it became quite boring. The idea is great, the execution was a little lackluster though.

My first scalzi book and i always wanted to try his books as they are fun and exciting,

This book is a collection of interconnected short stories from a variety of POVs, changing in each chapter. Seeing the idiot billionaire CEO of an aerospace company believing he could do whatever he wanted definitely felt relatable right now. But I also enjoyed seeing from NASA astronauts viewpoints as well as cheese shop owners, a non-fiction author, a washed-up rockstar and more. Switching between these viewpoints as time passes on was really engaging, and I enjoyed the wit that Scalzi writes with.

The moon has turned to cheese. Already you know that this is going to be a fun read! We follow Americans from all over the States and see their various reactions, from NASA panicking and attempting to carry out research before saying anything, to a cultural obsession over cheese and the President freaking out.

This book is a collection of interconnected short stories from a variety of POVs, changing in each chapter. Seeing the idiot billionaire CEO of an aerospace company believing he could do whatever he wanted definitely felt relatable right now. But I also enjoyed seeing from NASA astronauts viewpoints as well as cheese shop owners, a non-fiction author, a washed-up rockstar and more. Switching between these viewpoints as time passes on was really engaging, and I enjoyed the wit that Scalzi writes with.

This was my first experience of Scalzi's writing and whilst I didn't find it humours per-say, I did find it clever, and I'm looking forward to reading more from him in the future!

My first book by John Scalzi but definitely not my last one, because this was such an enjoyable read! The moon turning to cheese is a silly premise, but it does develop into an entertaining story and had me invested throughout the entire book. The special format helped with that too. Every chapter followed a different character across the USA, presenting many different perspectives on the whole cheese moon disaster. I really liked that the author focused on several personal experiences rather than one global catastrophe, and also the way how this situation not only created a whole lot of problems, but also extraordinary possibilities. The characters ranged from astronauts who were supposed to go to the moon when it still was a rock to a Hollywood producer who is now getting pitched cheesy moon comedies fifteen times a day to some rich people who just really want to taste the moon cheese. The book never returns twice to the same POV, but some characters appear or are mentioned in multiple chapters. The book almost felt like a series of interconnected short stories, and naturally some were more interesting than others. Some were science-focused and mostly informative (all science stayed pretty vague, though), but others were funny or even surprisingly heartfelt. I never knew what would be up next, so I started each chapter with new interest. There is also some mixed media, which is always nice to see in books. The story is of course speculative and often over-the-top, but many scenarios were still very much rooted in reality and you can find the one or other parallel to our everyday life. I do have to say that the book lost me a tiny little bit in the second half when the situation got more dire. After the great start, I never wanted it to take the apocalypse-route, but it made sense because the story had to lead somewhere. It was resolved nicely in the end, though. After liking "When the Moon Hits your Eye" I will definitely check out "The Kaiju Preservation Society" and "Starter Villain", because the author somewhat groups these three books of his together and I could really need some more.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Pan MacMillan books and John Scalzi for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved the idea of the moon suddenly becoming cheese. It’s a classic childhood tale retold for adults in our modern age.

This story starts of slowly then gradually increases its pace detailing unimaginable event occurring and told through the perspectives of many different people over a period of time. This I found to be most amusing and satisfying as their reactions and opinions were very varied. The science is easy to understand which was good as I felt it may have taken over the story. I loved the way Scalzi gets into people’s heads and hearts to bring out the best in his characters which he did so with expertise.

Overall this is a fun, dramatic and sometimes emotional story to read and felt different to the authors usual style of writing. At first I was a little sceptical where this book would go but I should have known I would not be disappointed. A most enjoyable, satisfying read with great characters and an unusual plot that will keep you glued to the pages.

I received and ARC of this from Netgalley.

This was fun. It is not a book that you can actually take seriously, I mean the moon changes into cheese! But this book has great heart. The story gets told from a lot of different perspectives and that allows the reader to see many different situations, some of them funny and some actually heart breaking. It boils down to how different people deal with a life ending event and the emotions that come with that and I thought the book had a great balance of humour and emotion to it. I would recommend this book but only if you don't mind a little bit of a light hearted tone to a storyteller.

Unexpectedly thought-provoking. What a concept!

Loved Starter Villain. Saw this and the premise and was instantly sold. Never seen anything quite like it... and it was brilliant!

The plot? Well, one day the world awakens to discover the moon has... wait for it... turned into cheese. Yes, scientists are stunned but confirm it. Moon rock samples on Earth are the same. Cheese.

The book veers around to various characters over the globe reacting to this, their lives affected in different ways, from cheese shop owners to NASA astronauts preparing for a mission soon to be cancelled.

Loved the very timely-feeling thread about one of the world's richest men and his quest to land on the cheese-moon. How apt for the times we are living in.

Over the course of one lunar cycle, the author shows us the possible science (difference in mass, explosions under the surface, change in size, affect on tides etc) and human implications, without ever having to give explanation (good one!). There's the science writer fortuitously talking about the moon in his latest book, suddenly becoming world-renowned. The former rock star re-assessing his mistakes in love. Conspiracy theorists expounding dark ideas on what is really going on.

I feel Scalzi enjoyed the creation in particular of both Jody Bannon the billionaire and US President Brett Boone. Just a feeling I had while reading them.

The more serious aspect of the story kicked in later as potential catastrophic events are brought to light, which also gives readers the chance to reflect on how something similar (okay maybe not moon cheese) might change their own lives and priorities.

Loved the ending too, bringing home yet another point about the effect of time on any one occurrence and how society looks back with hindsight and 'knowledge'.

It veered from ridiculous to more serious, taking in global viewpoints, and never became less than thoroughly absorbing.... like a thick fondue with dip one might say.

Batty, mad and totally unique. It's a cracker (sorry).

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

Let me start with I loved this book! It is a perfect lift in these strange political times, as it tracks the impact of the moons' spontaneous change to cheese (or organic matrix). We start at Day 1 when the change is first noticed in locations which hold pieces of lunar rock (Wapakoneta, Ohio to start) that have also changed form, then each chapter follows day by day impacts on NASA, moon missions, the President of the USA, students, everyday folk in vignettes on their thoughts, opinions, life and loves.
There are some storylines that thread the book, the NASA moon mission being chief amongst them, an entitled billionaire, rival cheese shops and the coffee shop conversations of three retirees. One of my favourite chapters was following a movie pitching session in Hollywood, where all bar one was for a cheese related film, and the sudden change of fortune for a college professors writing career due to his latest book having a section on the moon and cheese. The political commentary sounds right for these times and the cast of characters meet the extraordinary events in ways that reflect our humanity.
This is on my shopping list for my husband and would recommend for anyone who wants a change of pace from hard core science fiction.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley - all views are my own.

DNF at 28% percent

This book made me feel numb. The biggest issue is that the humour didn't stick with me, which is the whole thing that should make this work interesting. I found some dialogue that would have been funny if I was in the room with the characters, but it didn't translate to page.

The format of the book is that it follows another character in every chapter, creating essentially a collection of short stories following a common theme. This would have worked if the endings of the chapters were satisfying. But they were not. There was no climax or punch line at the end. Thus, I hoped the story arc would continue, but I yet again got another set of characters, making me frustrated and uninterested

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me access to an e-arc for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

A gripping read that had me on the edge of my seat from start the finish. The pacing was very well done and I was always excited to pick it up and read.