When the Moon Hits Your Eye

By: John Scalzi

Narrated by: Wil Wheaton

New York Times bestseller John Scalzi flies you to the moon with his most fantastic tale to date: When the Moon Hits Your Eye

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.

©2025 John Scalzi (P)2024 Audible, Inc.

What Happens When The Ridiculous Happens?

Is the premise of the story absolutely ridiculous? Yes. Is the resulting story that takes the ridiculous serious compelling? Also yes.
As you can see in the preview of the book, this is a story about what happens when the moon suddenly turns to cheese, errr... organic material. It goes to several people in different jobs, positions, and lifestyles to see how their lives are affected by this absurdity turned reality. There are some stories that you would expect to see -- the president, congressmen, and NASA astronauts trying to figure out the why and the how it will affect the world. Then there are the stories that are much more compelling and heartfelt -- the pastor trying to keep his faith, the aspiring author, the song writer dying of pancreatic cancer. The emotions and reality packed into these day accounts are the heart of this story. You can hear the quiver in Wil Wheaton's voice as he shares the flood of emotions breaking through stoic facades. This is peak Wil Wheaton delivering peak Scalzi absurdity.
In the end, don't expect a lot of answers to the why of it and enjoy the ride of the who of it. And then, in the end, just accept that it was all just a hoax and go back to your normal life with just the hint of doubt in the back corner of your mind.

Some how the plot works

I really enjoyed it. Its not my favorite book he has ever done. But i will definitely listen to a few more times. It would have been 5 stars except for the ending. I will not give anything away.

Meh

Scalzi is one of my favorite writers. This was just not up to his usual brilliance. Too many characters, too many loose threads, and the central event walked right past unusual and took up residence in ridiculous territory.

Wheaton was excellent as always.

It is a great book.

He writes so well. And it is a very good book and it helped me to work past issues we are all facing with the current government issues.

Not Good Science (but I love it anyway)

Let me say first that I'm completely biased; I love Wil Wheaton and I adore John Scalzi, so my review stars are likely a smidge inflated. Second, a fluffing (and fluff censorship, but what else to do?) work training got in the way of my listening to this quickly and cleanly on the first day.

Okay, now to the meat and potatoes (to go with my cheese) of my review: this book is WEIRD. If you haven't read Scalzi short stories, this might be too weird for you. I think, though, that if you haven't read about yogurt taking over the world or household appliances gossiping about humans, your lack of notice is kinda your problem. Also to the bad science, and the argument for this being the last in something of a goofy trilogy, I still enjoyed the story, particularly for the reactions of the characters. I would still highly recommend reading or listening to this, as lighthearted fun is sorely needed these days.

Finally, I would like to think that we as a species are going to wake up at some point and realize that burning to death when it's perfectly preventable makes now entirely as ridiculous and laughable as this story. I had such a great time, hearing the amusement in Wil's voice and I can't wait for the next book.

Different But Still Great

I like Scalzi's humor and appreciated a different approach with numerous character story lines. Keep em comming!

Not his best

Meh is right. Usually love his stuff. Not gonna recommend. Wish I had loved it.

Yeah but what kind is it

This amazing story of the ridiculousness and the beauty of the human condition is so wonderfully written and narrated that I was able to truly escape the real world's troubles and it allowed me to reflect on so many things because I was relieved of that burden. Amazing narration and story, cannot recommend enough.

Fun and unconventional

I think I’ve listened to nearly all of John Scalzi’s books, and When the Moon Hits Your Eye might be one of my favorites. It’s a collection of short stories set in a world where, without any real explanation, the moon suddenly turns into cheese.

Scalzi even notes in the acknowledgments that it’s not meant to be super scientific. Instead, it reads like a thought experiment ripped straight from Randall Munroe’s What If? series—except rather than laying out the perfect scientific explanation of what would happen, it explores the chaos and absurdity through the eyes of the people actually living in the middle of it all.

Interestingly, both Scalzi and Munroe use Wil Wheaton as their audiobook narrator, which adds a fun thread of connection between the two.

All in all, it’s part science fiction, part satire, and completely entertaining. I loved it and can’t recommend it enough.

Pure Scalzi!

This had everything you’d expect in a Scalzi book, unique, sarcastic characters, an improbable situation and a nod to what is going on in current society. Plus, Wil Wheaton reads it—and what can I say? The man is talented!