When the Moon Hits Your Eye

Starred review from January 1, 2025
AWallace & Gromit dream is more of a nightmare in this darkly farcical science fantasy in which the moon inexplicably becomes...well, not green, but decidedly dairy. When the moon and every lunar sample on Earth transform into a cheese-like substance, it seems amusing at first, but the appearance of this newly organic, extremely unstable satellite has far-reaching, apocalyptic consequences. A variety of U.S. citizens--disappointed astronauts from newly cancelled lunar missions, scientists whose understanding of the universe has been entirely upended, writers frantically adapting their pitches, retirees at a rural diner finding solace in their friendship, a small church community looking for divine answers, bickering cheese-shop owners whose product gets both welcome and unwelcome attention, the ultra-wealthy owner of an aerospace company with a spectacularly self-involved agenda, bank executives seeking a financial angle, and government officials desperately scheduling press conferences--respond in ways grand and petty, generous and self-serving. Those responses can only escalate when a cheesy lunar fragment threatens to destroy all life on our planet. Scalzi's premise is absurd, but it's merely the pretext to take a multifaceted, satiric look at how Americans deal with large-scale crisis, something we're abundantly and recently familiar with, and will no doubt experience again in the not-so-distant future. He writes of denial, conspiracy theories, anger directed at the wrong people, unscrupulous political machinations, and multiple attempts at profiting from the end of the world, for as long as it lasts. There are moments of unexpected kindness and generosity, too. Of course, Scalzi takes aim at his favorite corporate, social, and government targets, as well as at the cheap sentiment that crisis always seems to inspire (as exemplified by a catastrophicSaturday Night Live episode). A ridiculous concept imbued with gravity, charm, humor, plausible cynicism, and pathos--and perhaps the merest touch of spite.

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December 1, 2024

In bestselling and award-winning Scalzi's (Starter Villain) latest, the moon has impossibly turned into cheese. This unexpected turn of events has humanity reacting in a multitude of ways, and the novel follows a wide swath of people over the course of an entire lunar cycle as they respond to this absurd situation. With a 250K-copy first printing. Prepub Alert.

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December 16, 2024
A ridiculous premise—what if the moon actually was made of cheese?—is treated with a straight face in this cleverly entertaining sci-fi romp from Hugo Award winner Scalzi (the Old Man’s War series). A new lunar cycle begins with a confluence of odd phenomena: the crescent moon is far brighter than it should be, and all of the lunar mineral samples on Earth have turned into cheese. This leads to the discovery that the moon itself has suddenly and inexplicably become cheese—or an “organic matrix,” as NASA prefers to put it. The narrative takes the reader on a day by day journey through this unprecedented lunar cycle, with each day focusing on the perspective of a different character. This structure provides a comprehensive view of the transformation’s effects, from the expected (astronauts are disappointed that their upcoming lunar mission has been canceled) to the wildly unanticipated (including the actions of an Elon Muskesque billionaire, who seizes the moment for personal gain), while also returning to enough of the established characters to keep the potential apocalypse from feeling impersonal. Scalzi’s ability to balance scathing satire with heartfelt optimism shines. Agent: Ethan Ellenberg, Ethan Ellenberg Literary.

Starred review from January 1, 2025
Museum worker Virgil is about to go home for date night when he is summoned to the vault where the moon rock under his supervision lives; it has turned to a substance that resembles cheese. It seems every moon rock on Earth has undergone the same, unbelievable transformation, as have all the rocks that make up the actual moon. The narrative shifts from NASA to the White House to a diner in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and on to many other scientists, politicians, philosophers, and religious leaders trying to come to grips with this sudden and inexplicable transformation. Scalzi (Starter Villain, 2023) creates a myriad of compelling vignettes as people deal with a world they no longer have a handle on. In addition to traditional prose, the story is also told from articles, a Reddit AMA, and even a personal group chat providing commentary on everything from Hollywood to publishing catching lightning in a bottle, religion as industry and inspiration, and faith in science. When the Moon Hits Your Eye does what sf does best: offers a mirror up to society and explores how humanity might respond to sudden and seemingly impossible things.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A simple but irresistible premise--the moon has turned to cheese!--anchors best-seller Scalzi's latest, and his appeal continues to grow beyond traditional genre readers.

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