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Space Cheese
Do you crave something on the zanier side of sci-fi?
An over-the-top homage to the greatest sci-fi books and movies—all rolled into one sidesplitting adventure? Then prepare yourself for...
Space Cheese
Dodge just wanted to retire—because pirating is hard when your crew includes a sassy AI named KON-f-dence, trigger-happy Roxy, Patch the kind-of medic, and Timmy… just Timmy.
They’ve survived bar fights, bounty hunters, and questionable health inspections. But nothing could prepare them for their final heist: stealing an entire bar. Hold on tight—we’re going past ludicrous speed.
Warning: Walls will be broken! But it’s okay. This crew totally knows what it’s doing. Kind of.
An over-the-top homage to the greatest sci-fi books and movies—all rolled into one sidesplitting adventure? Then prepare yourself for...
Space Cheese
Dodge just wanted to retire—because pirating is hard when your crew includes a sassy AI named KON-f-dence, trigger-happy Roxy, Patch the kind-of medic, and Timmy… just Timmy.
They’ve survived bar fights, bounty hunters, and questionable health inspections. But nothing could prepare them for their final heist: stealing an entire bar. Hold on tight—we’re going past ludicrous speed.
Warning: Walls will be broken! But it’s okay. This crew totally knows what it’s doing. Kind of.
207 pages, ebook
Published September 6, 2025
5 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Jason Mizer
3 books3 followersJason Mizer is the author of The Animal In Us, a gritty, psychological dystopian thriller that explores survival, power, and the limits of the human beast. His writing blends the grand with the grim, the fantastical with the brutally real, and the hammer with the heart.
His debut novel throws readers into a world where civilization has collapsed, and only the ruthless thrive. At its core is Tetch, a man shaped by violence and survival, standing at the edge of a world where predator and prey are one and the same.
When not writing or creating (yes, too many hobbies), he’s either locked in tickle fights with his three girls or enjoying a much-needed quiet date with his wife—because three loud girls make for one wild household. He survives by retreating to his man-cave, where he writes, plays guitar, and dreams of finally getting a dog.
His debut novel throws readers into a world where civilization has collapsed, and only the ruthless thrive. At its core is Tetch, a man shaped by violence and survival, standing at the edge of a world where predator and prey are one and the same.
When not writing or creating (yes, too many hobbies), he’s either locked in tickle fights with his three girls or enjoying a much-needed quiet date with his wife—because three loud girls make for one wild household. He survives by retreating to his man-cave, where he writes, plays guitar, and dreams of finally getting a dog.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 9, 2025
I went into this with high hopes. A scifi spoof, that starts well and made me think of a US version of Red Dwarf that was actually good, or perhaps something on a par with Barry Hutchison's Space Team series. And it begins well enough. It establishes an immersive setting and one by one introduces the core cast of distinct and interesting characters. It loses its momentum around a third of the way in when the plot stagnates and the characters are basically waiting around for it to catch up with them and give them something to do.
The humour is not in the league of Douglas Adams, or even Doug Naylor but there is plenty of it so you will laugh a few times during the book. There were two main issues I had with it. One is the complete lack of restraint on the fourth wall breaking, which, unlike with Deadpool where it's part of his character, it comes across as the author undermining his own work making it impossible for me as a reader to truly engage with it and believe in it. And the other was the frequency of references to famous scifi, mostly film and television (which made me think this really should have been a screen play rather than a novel). These references were so superficial that anyone looking forward to them would have already told them and heard them a hundred times. And even then they're all delivered with the literary equivalent of canned laughter, which at best comes across as self-congratulatory and at worst an insult to the reader. "make sure you got that joke now! we're not moving on unless you definitely understood it!" it was really painful, and as previously mentioned, there's plenty of it. Again, this really feels like the author not trusting the reader, or at least not trusting his work to stand up on its own, and with the references so on the nose and forced, it's even more unnecessary. The rest of the jokes are laboured puns - mostly cheese terminology forced into places where they don't belong.
There are some interesting quirks too, particular a billy goat that somehow results in a large supply of cheese. Then again the cheese is referred to as "goat cheese", so it's not necessarily made from goat's milk per se. I also appreciated the quirks of language in the dialogue where vocabulary and grammatical constructions are slightly off, suggesting a future time period where words and phrases have naturally mutated over time. It's just unfortunate that this spills over into the narrative as well. It's also unfortunate that references are made within the universe rather than just the narrative to our contemporary media, which works against this future setting.
I'll admit that I found it a chore to get through the whole thing, but I made sure that I did to be able to give a fair and honest review. That said I'm still giving the book three stars because I am certain that a lot of people will enjoy it, especially those young enough to have only very recently discovered Star Wars, for example. Plus it does have a lot of the elements of a decent story- with some original characters and interesting settings. I just wish it believed in itself more, and didn't have to use the likes of Star Wars and Star Trek as a crutch while insisting on holding the reader's hand throughout.
The humour is not in the league of Douglas Adams, or even Doug Naylor but there is plenty of it so you will laugh a few times during the book. There were two main issues I had with it. One is the complete lack of restraint on the fourth wall breaking, which, unlike with Deadpool where it's part of his character, it comes across as the author undermining his own work making it impossible for me as a reader to truly engage with it and believe in it. And the other was the frequency of references to famous scifi, mostly film and television (which made me think this really should have been a screen play rather than a novel). These references were so superficial that anyone looking forward to them would have already told them and heard them a hundred times. And even then they're all delivered with the literary equivalent of canned laughter, which at best comes across as self-congratulatory and at worst an insult to the reader. "make sure you got that joke now! we're not moving on unless you definitely understood it!" it was really painful, and as previously mentioned, there's plenty of it. Again, this really feels like the author not trusting the reader, or at least not trusting his work to stand up on its own, and with the references so on the nose and forced, it's even more unnecessary. The rest of the jokes are laboured puns - mostly cheese terminology forced into places where they don't belong.
There are some interesting quirks too, particular a billy goat that somehow results in a large supply of cheese. Then again the cheese is referred to as "goat cheese", so it's not necessarily made from goat's milk per se. I also appreciated the quirks of language in the dialogue where vocabulary and grammatical constructions are slightly off, suggesting a future time period where words and phrases have naturally mutated over time. It's just unfortunate that this spills over into the narrative as well. It's also unfortunate that references are made within the universe rather than just the narrative to our contemporary media, which works against this future setting.
I'll admit that I found it a chore to get through the whole thing, but I made sure that I did to be able to give a fair and honest review. That said I'm still giving the book three stars because I am certain that a lot of people will enjoy it, especially those young enough to have only very recently discovered Star Wars, for example. Plus it does have a lot of the elements of a decent story- with some original characters and interesting settings. I just wish it believed in itself more, and didn't have to use the likes of Star Wars and Star Trek as a crutch while insisting on holding the reader's hand throughout.
November 25, 2025
Bottom Line Upfront:
Space Cheese is a love letter to the American sci-fi/fantasy/pop culture from the mid-twentieth century through today. If you recite the best lines from hundreds of books, shows, and movies during your gaming sessions, then this one is for you. If you loved Robin Williams at his manic best riffing in every direction at once with no pause for a breath, then this will probably be 5 stars for you and read in a burst. Overall, this is a fun read that evokes memories of Saturdays with my college friends starting in the 1990s through the visits on long weekends now. Yes, that does include Bob who doesn’t know when enough is enough as well as needing to explain a good portion of the jokes to Alice’s boyfriend of the month.
The Good Parts:
Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, all the spoofs on them, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, cartoons, pop culture, the banging soundtracks with 70s/80s music, and every single trope you remember from the 1980s and 1990s are all here. Nearly every line has an allusion, an in-joke, or a pun. This is action packed with brief interludes for the protagonist to mention again how much he wants to retire, the crew to riff on their pet motivation, the ship to be snarky on everything, and another plan that can be best described as that’s terrible; you son of a bitch, I’m in. A thrilling ride that leads to a satisfying ending.
When it works, Space Cheese is like getting to experience the best parts of Ready Player One for the first time.
Why Only 3 Stars:
Max from The Lost Boys said, “No, I like garlic! It's just a little much! It's raw garlic.” Nearly every line has an allusion, an in-joke, or a pun. The fourth wall is non-existent with the breaking happening so frequently. When Space Cheese doesn’t work, it’s like reading Ready Player Two.
While all the content is a love letter to sci-fi/fantasy/pop culture, the comparable feeling is reading James Joyce’s novels. I was taken out of the moment nearly every page with “look how clever I’m being. Clever!” Yes, you are clever; hush up about it for a bit and let me just appreciate the ride.
Johnny 5 from Short Circuit needed input at this volume. I’d prefer a little less so that I have the feeling of reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy or watching Spaceballs instead of feeling like I’m drinking from Stanley Spadowski’s firehose as I shop at the Kwik-E-Mart with Jay and Silent Bob while the soundtrack from the movie Heavy Metal plays with the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 gang heckling every motion.
Cormac McCarthy also comes to mind for having brilliant scenes expertly written interspersed with a feeling of overwhelm so the net effect is the reader needing regular palate-cleansing breaks while still very much recommending the book as well worth the time and money.
Tyrion Lannister’s voice saying, “We’re having fun; look at all the fun we’re having” comes to mind. Space Cheese is overall fun, just a little mandatory fun at times.
You should buy this book and read it if you understood all these descriptions! Come to the dark side and enjoy the cookies...er goat cheese pie.
Space Cheese is a love letter to the American sci-fi/fantasy/pop culture from the mid-twentieth century through today. If you recite the best lines from hundreds of books, shows, and movies during your gaming sessions, then this one is for you. If you loved Robin Williams at his manic best riffing in every direction at once with no pause for a breath, then this will probably be 5 stars for you and read in a burst. Overall, this is a fun read that evokes memories of Saturdays with my college friends starting in the 1990s through the visits on long weekends now. Yes, that does include Bob who doesn’t know when enough is enough as well as needing to explain a good portion of the jokes to Alice’s boyfriend of the month.
The Good Parts:
Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, all the spoofs on them, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, cartoons, pop culture, the banging soundtracks with 70s/80s music, and every single trope you remember from the 1980s and 1990s are all here. Nearly every line has an allusion, an in-joke, or a pun. This is action packed with brief interludes for the protagonist to mention again how much he wants to retire, the crew to riff on their pet motivation, the ship to be snarky on everything, and another plan that can be best described as that’s terrible; you son of a bitch, I’m in. A thrilling ride that leads to a satisfying ending.
When it works, Space Cheese is like getting to experience the best parts of Ready Player One for the first time.
Why Only 3 Stars:
Max from The Lost Boys said, “No, I like garlic! It's just a little much! It's raw garlic.” Nearly every line has an allusion, an in-joke, or a pun. The fourth wall is non-existent with the breaking happening so frequently. When Space Cheese doesn’t work, it’s like reading Ready Player Two.
While all the content is a love letter to sci-fi/fantasy/pop culture, the comparable feeling is reading James Joyce’s novels. I was taken out of the moment nearly every page with “look how clever I’m being. Clever!” Yes, you are clever; hush up about it for a bit and let me just appreciate the ride.
Johnny 5 from Short Circuit needed input at this volume. I’d prefer a little less so that I have the feeling of reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy or watching Spaceballs instead of feeling like I’m drinking from Stanley Spadowski’s firehose as I shop at the Kwik-E-Mart with Jay and Silent Bob while the soundtrack from the movie Heavy Metal plays with the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 gang heckling every motion.
Cormac McCarthy also comes to mind for having brilliant scenes expertly written interspersed with a feeling of overwhelm so the net effect is the reader needing regular palate-cleansing breaks while still very much recommending the book as well worth the time and money.
Tyrion Lannister’s voice saying, “We’re having fun; look at all the fun we’re having” comes to mind. Space Cheese is overall fun, just a little mandatory fun at times.
You should buy this book and read it if you understood all these descriptions! Come to the dark side and enjoy the cookies...er goat cheese pie.
October 7, 2025
May the fourth wall breaks be with you…
Jason Mizer delivers a fun space sci-fi romp that lovingly pays homage to the genre in so many ways. From cool spoofs to simple references and much more – this book is literally packed with near enough all of the good things about comedy and cheese and is executed in a way where laughs are pretty much guaranteed.
As promised in the blurb, this is an ‘over-the-top homage’ and readers are given that as the comedy takes many forms and in particular I really enjoyed the snappy fun dialogue with some great one-liners. Early on the theme is set along with that comedic ‘bar’ of fourth wall breaking delivered mostly by ‘KON-f-dence’ who works as an AI guide to both character and reader alike which builds a unique bridge between. ‘Dodge Sterling’ is the captain of your vessel and while he spends a lot of time aspiring to retire, the journey alongside his crew of lovable rogues might just convince him otherwise.
For fans of 80’s sitcom all the way to Star Wars and everything in between with heavy doses of chaotic comedy-then this is the book for you!
‘Dodge sat at the bar on a red velvet padded barstool that groaned under his weight. He nursed a tall glass of space beer, ruby red… going down smooth and sweet, tasting exactly like the kind of trouble he wanted in life. After their adventures, well… misadventures, a good space beer was needed, cherished, and named after his favorite pet. I don’t have a pet. Named after his favorite chair? The bar stool is nice, but I just met it. Star cluster? Yeah that works…’
Jason Mizer delivers a fun space sci-fi romp that lovingly pays homage to the genre in so many ways. From cool spoofs to simple references and much more – this book is literally packed with near enough all of the good things about comedy and cheese and is executed in a way where laughs are pretty much guaranteed.
As promised in the blurb, this is an ‘over-the-top homage’ and readers are given that as the comedy takes many forms and in particular I really enjoyed the snappy fun dialogue with some great one-liners. Early on the theme is set along with that comedic ‘bar’ of fourth wall breaking delivered mostly by ‘KON-f-dence’ who works as an AI guide to both character and reader alike which builds a unique bridge between. ‘Dodge Sterling’ is the captain of your vessel and while he spends a lot of time aspiring to retire, the journey alongside his crew of lovable rogues might just convince him otherwise.
For fans of 80’s sitcom all the way to Star Wars and everything in between with heavy doses of chaotic comedy-then this is the book for you!
‘Dodge sat at the bar on a red velvet padded barstool that groaned under his weight. He nursed a tall glass of space beer, ruby red… going down smooth and sweet, tasting exactly like the kind of trouble he wanted in life. After their adventures, well… misadventures, a good space beer was needed, cherished, and named after his favorite pet. I don’t have a pet. Named after his favorite chair? The bar stool is nice, but I just met it. Star cluster? Yeah that works…’
December 18, 2025
Dear Lord, Space Cheese is the most delightfully silly book I've read in a very long time.
Set in a future where the level of absurdity is so off the charts, it starts to feel like where we're probably headed. Space Cheese is at its core a space heist populated by a cast of characters who seem familiar for a reason - a good reason. Author Jason Mizer has plumbed the depths of every single familiar sci-fi book/show/film, shamelessly scooped out the good parts and then remade them in the image of his rollicking race through the galaxy.
But sci-fi tropes aren't the only pop culture entities to get the Mizer Treatment. Everything from 7-11, to AI, to turkey basters (don't ask - just read the book) are used/misused to comedic heights by the author while occasionally making you think...but only occasionally. I spent my time reading Space Cheese howling with laughter and reading choice parts out loud to my husband.
If you're a reader suffering from fatigue after too many heavy reads, Space Cheese is an excellent palate cleanser. If you just love to laugh out loud at how absurd life can be, Space Cheese has you covered. If Futurama met Spaceballs at a dive bar and they went home together only to have Hitchhiker's Guide bust in and start throwing punches, Space Cheese would be what Mal Reynolds was dreaming about in another galaxy.
Go for the Cheese. Stay for the duct tape.
Set in a future where the level of absurdity is so off the charts, it starts to feel like where we're probably headed. Space Cheese is at its core a space heist populated by a cast of characters who seem familiar for a reason - a good reason. Author Jason Mizer has plumbed the depths of every single familiar sci-fi book/show/film, shamelessly scooped out the good parts and then remade them in the image of his rollicking race through the galaxy.
But sci-fi tropes aren't the only pop culture entities to get the Mizer Treatment. Everything from 7-11, to AI, to turkey basters (don't ask - just read the book) are used/misused to comedic heights by the author while occasionally making you think...but only occasionally. I spent my time reading Space Cheese howling with laughter and reading choice parts out loud to my husband.
If you're a reader suffering from fatigue after too many heavy reads, Space Cheese is an excellent palate cleanser. If you just love to laugh out loud at how absurd life can be, Space Cheese has you covered. If Futurama met Spaceballs at a dive bar and they went home together only to have Hitchhiker's Guide bust in and start throwing punches, Space Cheese would be what Mal Reynolds was dreaming about in another galaxy.
Go for the Cheese. Stay for the duct tape.
September 10, 2025
This is rollicking good read! The characters are, well, characters. Really weird characters. If you're a fan of Douglas Adams, Lance Carbuncle (without the strong language!), Christopher Moore, Piers Anthony (but with goats. and cheese, and a weirdly relatable AI), Joshua Done (but in SPACE), this will definitely be your cup of tea (or your mug of Nebula Red 7). With a soundtrack to rival Guardians of the Galaxy, and references your babies will not understand, I recommend you dive right in, and hold on to whatever your weapon of choice is (but leave the duct tape to Timmy).
Warning: Story contains a goat. Not a GOAT, Like Brady. But, a source of ingredients for the goat cheese pie.
Warning: Story contains a goat. Not a GOAT, Like Brady. But, a source of ingredients for the goat cheese pie.
September 11, 2025
Pure Chaos and Endless Fun in Space
I had a blast reading this book and could not stop laughing. The mix of pirates, an emperor with a very unique power source, and that unforgettable goat had me hooked from the start. The story is full of crazy surprises from blasters to transforming honey badgers and even epic 80s vibes. I felt like I was right there with Dodge Sterling and his crew as everything kept going wrong in the funniest ways. If you want a space adventure that never takes itself too seriously and keeps you smiling, this is the book for you. It is pure interstellar fun from start to finish.
I had a blast reading this book and could not stop laughing. The mix of pirates, an emperor with a very unique power source, and that unforgettable goat had me hooked from the start. The story is full of crazy surprises from blasters to transforming honey badgers and even epic 80s vibes. I felt like I was right there with Dodge Sterling and his crew as everything kept going wrong in the funniest ways. If you want a space adventure that never takes itself too seriously and keeps you smiling, this is the book for you. It is pure interstellar fun from start to finish.
December 12, 2025
Space Cheese is fast, absurd, and clearly having a great time. The story keeps moving and the humor is constant. I’d recommend it to readers who want a light, chaotic sci-fi romp.
December 29, 2025
I'll admit I snagged this ARC because of the title. And because I like cheese. Also, the blurb reminded me of Douglas Adams's novels.
World, it delivers. "Space Cheese" really is like reading more Douglas Adams. It's funny, has a lot of pun-ny names, and has wacky plots. I like how the AI KON-f-dence randomly inserts stuff into the narration. It sort of also reminds me of the very diverse personalities in that short-lived scifi series "Firefly."
The writing style is easy to read and flows nicely, making you want to read just one more chapter.
Overall, nicely done! Kudos to whomever designed the cover with that big hunk of cheese.
World, it delivers. "Space Cheese" really is like reading more Douglas Adams. It's funny, has a lot of pun-ny names, and has wacky plots. I like how the AI KON-f-dence randomly inserts stuff into the narration. It sort of also reminds me of the very diverse personalities in that short-lived scifi series "Firefly."
The writing style is easy to read and flows nicely, making you want to read just one more chapter.
Overall, nicely done! Kudos to whomever designed the cover with that big hunk of cheese.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews