When the Moon Hits Your Eye

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. (Mar.)