When the Moon Hits Your Eye - bookrastinating.com

Digital audio read by Wil Wheaton; unabridged; 10 h 5 m

English language

Published March 25, 2025 by Audible Studios.

The moon has turned into cheese.

Now humanity has to deal with it.

For some it’s an opportunity. For others it’s a moment to question their faith: In God, in science, in everything. Still others try to keep the world running in the face of absurdity and uncertainty. And then there are the billions looking to the sky and wondering how a thing that was always just there is now... something absolutely impossible.

Astronauts and billionaires, comedians and bank executives, professors and presidents, teenagers and terminal patients at the end of their lives -- over the length of an entire lunar cycle, each get their moment in the moonlight. To panic, to plan, to wonder and to pray, to laugh and to grieve. All in a kaleidoscopic novel that goes all the places you’d expect, and then to so many places you wouldn’t.

It’s a wild …

The moon has turned into cheese.

Now humanity has to deal with it.

For some it’s an opportunity. For others it’s a moment to question their faith: In God, in science, in everything. Still others try to keep the world running in the face of absurdity and uncertainty. And then there are the billions looking to the sky and wondering how a thing that was always just there is now... something absolutely impossible.

Astronauts and billionaires, comedians and bank executives, professors and presidents, teenagers and terminal patients at the end of their lives -- over the length of an entire lunar cycle, each get their moment in the moonlight. To panic, to plan, to wonder and to pray, to laugh and to grieve. All in a kaleidoscopic novel that goes all the places you’d expect, and then to so many places you wouldn’t.

It’s a wild moonage daydream. Ride this rocket.

3 editions

Sasu reviewed When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi (duplicate)

Amusing, but doesn't live up to its potential

3 stars

Content warning Some discussion of plot structure and hints about the ending

I listened to John Scalzi's When the Moon Hits Your Eye because the combination of the premise and Scalzi's reputation for irreverence reminded me of the film Don't Look Up, which I remember as one of the best movies I've seen in recent years. Perhaps that was not the most ideal place to read from, but that's where I started anyway.

In short, I found the book amusing with a few good moments. However, having listened to the whole thing, I'm left with the sense that it was too #superficial to be satisfying. Some scenes did go a bit deeper, especially those that dealt to any significant degree with the emotional implications of the impending #apocalypse, but on the whole, I thought that the opportunities for #satire afforded by the #absurdity of a moon made of cheese were used mostly for simpler humor instead.

I think that the chapter involving #writing deserves special mention. I experienced it as the most moving part of the book by far and suspect that it might have been even stronger standing on its own as a short story, possibly with a bit added for context.

I was surprised and somewhat aggravated by the abrupt twist near the end, but what I thought was really clever about it despite my frustration was the amount of #doubt that was left open as the book ended.

From the afterword, I got the sense that this book probably would have been more satisfying if I had approached it from the perspective of a dyed-in-the-wool Scalzi fan (which I am not, even if I often enjoy his writing) who just wanted to read something amusing, be entertained, and enjoy some light satire. I can also imagine that the lightness of the satire might make it something of a "gateway" to considering things from a different perspective for anyone who would find something like Don't Look Up difficult to digest.

#Scalzi #JohnScalzi #DontLookUp #WhentheMoonHitsYourEye #Moon #Cheese #CheeseMoon #Luna #Caseus #ScalziFan

DigitalRob@ramblingreaders.org reviewed When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi (duplicate)

That's Amore... Or Is It Asiago? A Review of John Scalzi's When the Moon Hits Your Eye

4 stars

John Scalzi asks a truly out-of-this-world question in "When the Moon Hits Your Eye": What if our lunar neighbor suddenly decided it identified as cheese? One ordinary day (or night, rather), the moon doesn't just look like a big pizza pie – it is one, or at least, a giant ball of an indeterminate, yet distinctly cheesy, substance. Told through a series of "Day X" vignettes, the novel chronicles the immediate, chaotic, and often hilarious human response to this dairy-ing cosmic shift, from bewildered museum directors tasting moon rocks to White House officials scrambling to explain why Earth's only natural satellite is now, well, Edam.

Initially, the book feels like a collection of snapshots, showcasing how different corners of society react to the 'Cheesening'. We meet astronauts grounded while a Musk-like billionaire attempts a gouda-awful (and ill-fated) lunar landing, rival cheese shop employees finding love amidst the madness (a …

John Scalzi asks a truly out-of-this-world question in "When the Moon Hits Your Eye": What if our lunar neighbor suddenly decided it identified as cheese? One ordinary day (or night, rather), the moon doesn't just look like a big pizza pie – it is one, or at least, a giant ball of an indeterminate, yet distinctly cheesy, substance. Told through a series of "Day X" vignettes, the novel chronicles the immediate, chaotic, and often hilarious human response to this dairy-ing cosmic shift, from bewildered museum directors tasting moon rocks to White House officials scrambling to explain why Earth's only natural satellite is now, well, Edam.

Initially, the book feels like a collection of snapshots, showcasing how different corners of society react to the 'Cheesening'. We meet astronauts grounded while a Musk-like billionaire attempts a gouda-awful (and ill-fated) lunar landing, rival cheese shop employees finding love amidst the madness (a storyline that is brie-lliant), a non-fiction author whose career skyrockets thanks to a timely chapter, and even a pastor grappling with questions of faith when divine handiwork seemingly gets replaced by provolone. While these individual stories are engaging, the real genius is how Scalzi begins to weave these threads together in the latter half, proving that even in the face of planetary absurdity, our lives are interconnected.

While perhaps not reaching the sharpest cheddar levels of some of Scalzi's other works, "When the Moon Hits Your Eye" delivers a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking experience. Standout chapters like "Day 21" offer poignant reflections on faith and the importance of living life to the fullest, even when the fromage hits the fan. "Day 23" provides a beautiful, self-contained lesson on finding personal satisfaction in a world gone mad. Scalzi uses the absurd premise to poke fun at everything from politics and billionaires to conspiracy theories and media frenzies, all while reminding us that how we react—with fear, faith, opportunism, or love—is what truly defines us, even when facing an impending curd-tastrophe.

Ultimately, "When the Moon Hits Your Eye" is a fun, witty, and surprisingly heartfelt look at humanity under bizarre pressure. It manages to be both a light-hearted romp and a commentary on our times, culminating in a conclusion that flips the script once more, leaving us to ponder the nature of belief and memory. For a read that will make you laugh, think, and possibly crave a cheese platter, this book earns a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It's nacho average sci-fi novel!

–This review was partially drafted by A.I. (Gemini) with a fairly lengthy prompt containing my opinions and the notes I took while reading. Much of the review is rewording of the prompt I entered and my notes. –

Subjects

Science Fiction