WHEN THE MOON HITS YOUR EYE by John Scalzi (Tor Books, release date March 25, 2025) Hardcover, 336 pages. ISBN # 9780765389091. ISBN 10 # 0765389096
Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .
From the creator of Starter Villain comes an entirely serious take on a distinctly unserious subject: what would really happen if suddenly the moon were replaced by a giant wheel of cheese.
It's a whole new moooooon.
One day soon, suddenly and without explanation, the moon as we know it is replaced with an orb of cheese with the exact same mass. Through the length of an entire lunar cycle, from new moon to a spectacular and possibly final solar eclipse, we follow multiple characters -- school kids and scientists, billionaires and workers, preachers and politicians -- as they confront the strange new world they live in, and the absurd, impossible moon that now hangs above all their lives.
MY FOUR-STAR REVIEW ON THE GOODREADS WEBSITE:
I love the way this book starts, from the opening of short facts about the moon presented in a children's book approach to the awe-inducing discoveries regarding changes in the planet. It reminded me of how accessible to readers the science-fiction of Asimov, Heinlein and Sturgeon was - especially the works of Ray Bradbury. That's good company.
The story is told in episodic chapters, focusing on the point of view of a large ensemble of characters, related in chronological order corresponding to the days in a lunar cycle. There's a turn of events near the end that came as a complete surprise, and some may consider unsatisfactory, but I won't spoil it by hinting at anything. I was perfectly fine with this, and felt it was an appropriate way to end things.
It seems that Scalzi considered all the implications for us mere mortals on Earth should the moon turn to cheese and upset the status quo, etc. Some of the chapters are more serious than others, but there is a tonge-in-cheek vibe to everything here. Every possible scenario seems to have been accounted for, from the reaction of the scientific community, to big government, to Hollywood, to the common man.
Three of my favorite chapters are the three retired senior citizens who meet for breakfast at a diner and speculate on the future, the Elon Musk-like character who spearheads his own mission to the moon (and gets what he deserves - wishing something similar would happen to the real person), and the various screen-writers making their elevator pitches to Hollywood producers for a moon-themed script.
Some memorable Scalzi wit/satire, through the thoughts of Jody Bannon (think Elon Musk):
"Follow: Jody Bannon wanted to go to the moon. Jody Bannon knew he had neither the time nor patience to go through real astronaut training. So if he was going to go to the moon, he was going to have to buy an aerospace company (which he did), make a credible bid to build a next-generation lunar lander (which he did), and then have it built with so many automated and redundant systems that even an untrained dipshit (which he was) could make it to the moon and back, just by pressing the occasional button."
Also, this little gem - - a conversation between President Boone and his wife regarding how to break the news about the moon to the public:
Boone snorted. "You've seen my latest poll numbers," he said. "My powers of persuasion are not what you think they are."
"This isn't about you trying to shepherd legislation," Angie said. "This is you being the actual most powerful human in the world. Right or wrong, that's who you are right now. People know it, even if they hate it and hate you. So if they get even a hint that you think we're doomed, it's all over. If they think you think we have a chance, they'll take that into their heads. Even if they think you're delusional."
"I might be delusional," Boone admitted.
"And you might not be. Maybe we will get through this."
"Maybe we will. And if we do, then maybe I'll get reelected."
"Don't get your hopes up," Angie said. "I've seen your poll numbers."
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