12/01/2024
This story isn't really about the moon; it's all about the reactions to it—what people think and feel and write and especially do when something fundamental to their understanding of the world changes in the blink of an eye, and they just have to cope. Because the moon and all of the moon rocks ever taken back to Earth suddenly turn into cheese. There's lots of laughter, and there's plenty of panic. But as they go through one lunar cycle—one surprising month, with the moon being cheese and having moonquakes and sending out cheese meteors—the world changes. People speculate, they hunker down, and they throw out conspiracy theories. They also focus on what's important. Life goes on, and humans still act like humans in all their weird and wacky glory. The novel can be read as hopeful. It's occasionally insightful, and it's frequently absolutely hilarious. VERDICT This is chock-full of Scalzi's (Starter Villain) trademark humor, and readers who love humorous science fiction in general and this author in particular are going to be rolling on the floor laughing out loud while reading.—Marlene Harris
★ 2024-11-23
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.
Praise for When the Moon Hits Your Eye:
"A ridiculous concept imbued with gravity, charm, humor, plausible cynicism, and pathos—and perhaps the merest touch of spite."—Kirkus, starred review
"When the Moon Hits Your Eye does what science fiction does best: offers a mirror up to society and explores how humanity might respond to sudden and seemingly impossible things."—Booklist, starred review
"Chock-full of Scalzi's trademark humor, and readers who love humorous science fiction in general and this author in particular are going to be rolling on the floor laughing out loud while reading."—Library Journal
"Scalzi’s ability to balance scathing satire with heartfelt optimism shines."—Publishers Weekly
"This book is perfect." —First Clue
Praise for Starter Villain:
Scalzi's latest is a light-hearted story with a likeable fish-out-of-water protagonist and a lot of very smart cats. There's also a dolphin labor dispute, some truly awful techbros, and a volcano island lair... Who could resist?—Rebecca Roanhorse, author of Black Sun
“Combining the sarcastic humor of Scalzi’s Redshirts with an origin story for James Bond–like supervillains operating with the competence-porn-level efficiency and work ethic of Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots, this story of snark with a heart reminds readers that the logical conclusion of “dogs have owners, cats have staff” is that cats are management and never let anyone forget it... Highly recommended.” —Library Journal, Starred Review
“Scalzi again examines tropes in a tale of an ordinary individual being cast into an extraordinary situation with his trademark quick pacing, clever banter, and ability to find humor in desperate situations…. With a large print run and a clever premise, Scalzi’s latest will appeal to his legion of fans and draw in new ones.”—Booklist, Starred Review
“In this clever, fast-paced thriller, Hugo Award winner subverts classic supervillain tropes with equal measures of tongue-in-cheek humor and common sense… The result is a breezy and highly entertaining genre send-up.”—Publishers Weekly
"Classic Scalzi set pieces like a class of managerial cats or dolphins on strike – and moments when you will laugh so loudly you will wish you weren’t reading in public."—The New Scientist
"Witty dialogue, clever world-building and engaging secondary characters make this a satisfying escape from the real world. And of course, if you’ve got a feline companion, Starter Villain is a perfect lazy Cat-urday read."—Wall Street Journal
"Irreverent and subversive...with James Bond-level bad guys set in the everyday trudge of corporate life a la The Office."—Entertainment Weekly
