Monsters of Ohio: A wildly fun and gripping sci-fi adventure about an unexpected apocalypse

by John Scalzi

Award-winning, multipe New York Times bestseller John Scalzi brings us a tale of tentacles, hope amidst hardship and the (potential) end of the world.

As a small town reaches breaking-point under pressure, could the outlandlish solution include tentacles . . . Or will their bizarre new vistors spell doom for them all?

In many ways Richland, Ohio is the same tiny, sleepy rural village it has been for the last 150 The same families, the same farms, the same heartland beliefs and traditions that have sustained it for generations. But right now times are especially hard, as social and economic forces inside and outside the community roil the surface of the once-placid town.

Richland, in other words, is primed to explode . . . just not the way that anyone anywhere could ever have expected. And when things do explode, well, that’s when things start getting really weird.

Daniel Garvey left Richland decades back, to find his own way in the world. But when he is called back to his hometown to tie up some loose ends, he finds more going on than he bargained for, and is caught up in a sequence of events that will bring this tiny farm village to the attention of the entire world . . . and, perhaps, spell its doom.

* * *

Praise for John

'Enormously entertaining'
– Adrian Tchaikovsky

'Fun, intelligent, and irreverent. I haven't enjoyed science fiction this much in years'
— Christopher Paolini,

'Hugely enjoyable, intelligent and good-humoured fun'
– Guardian

‘Clever dialogue, fast-paced story and strong characters’
– The Times

‘Scalzi’s ability to balance scathing satire with heartfelt optimism shines’
– Publishers Weekly

‘Rousing storytelling and satisfying intrigue . . . engaging, well-crafted sci-fi drama’
– SFX

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy

267 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 3, 2026

About the author

John Scalzi, having declared his absolute boredom with biographies, disappeared in a puff of glitter and lilac scent.

(If you want to contact John, using the mail function here is a really bad way to do it. Go to his site and use the contact information you find there.)

Reviews

[Wil Wheaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it.

[Scott S.]

Added to to-read because it's Scalzi and he rarely misses. From the title, I can only assume it's a book about the average denizen of Ohio...

In preparation for an actual review, which may contain who-knows-what, I want to point out that most of the likes on this review are for the anticipatory review above.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scalzi always kills it. Or rather, he doesn't kill unnecessarily. Or rather, he kills but he's fundamentally incapable of actually truly harming his fellow peeps in Ohio. Or maybe he is, but at least in NOVEL form he just goes all cryptid on the folks and carries off a truly neat commentary on how we really shouldn't be dicks.

I mean, seriously. Stop it. Just don't be a dick. Explosions might happen. Haven't you people taken sex-ed courses? Oh, wait, all the funding got cut. Oh, well, you're bound to figure out the facts of cryptid life sooner or later. May as well be in this book. Enjoy your tentacles.

Seriously tho, what did those poor Ohio people do to deserve Scalzi? They really ought to thank him.

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Weird things are happening in the village of Richland Ohio. Once upon a time, also known as the 80s, a truck carrying various chemicals crashed in the little township of Ohio. Most people have forgotten about it as it was a little over forty years ago and anyone really remembers is you couldn't drink the well water for a little while until it was tested as safe, but after about a year everything was back to normal. At least for awhile. Now, Richland is having a bit of a cultural (yes, let's call it that) revolution as the town's residents are experiencing something very out of the the normal that will change there little town forever as Monsters start to emerge in some of the most unlikely places.

"Does it Hurt?"
"Does What Hurt?"
Gabby motioned. "Whatever the f*** happened to you. You look like you were in a car accident. And then the ambulance crashed?"
"You should have seen me before I went home and took a shower."

John Scalzi is a funny and inventive writer. I have previously read some of his other stand alone SciFi books and they tend to be books that make me ponder and think on them long after the story is over. Monsters of Ohio is a fun interesting take on metamorphosis and how it can change an entire community on the brink of going under. It plays a little on how sometimes metamorphosis needs a trigger, some kind of pressure to force an evolution or a transformation. Jumping to give viewpoints from multiple characters allows the reader to experience the moments of transformation and get a feel for the pressures the people of the town are experiencing. It made me care about the little village of Richland all the more.

The first chapter to the story was a bit strange and it took some time for me to understand it in the greater scope of the story but when the pieces all clicked together it made more sense and I enjoyed how it fit into the greater scope of the story. Richland is a village on the cusp of collapse. The one big employer to the town is about to announce closing down. While the town knows it is coming, they are holding out hope for a miracle. Most of the story is experienced through Mike. He had moved out of this little town years ago but needs a base at his Dad's to regroup and restart his life. As he connects with a few other people from his childhood all the weird stuff starts happening with Mike in the middle of it. Hence the reader also gets to be in the middle of it and experience the ride first hand.

Really fun SciFi Monster story that is great for this time of year but would be fun anytime you want something smart, funny and with a satisfying conclusion all wrapped up in a standalone novel. I could totally see this being on Netflix or one of the other streaming services as a limited series during the fall, it was so vivid in my mind.

[Eli - Bookworm & Vine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid 3 stars for this one. I wanted more about the monsters and their existence, and less about the current state of the United States business and politics.

[Heather McCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It really does happen! I got an advanced copy of this book from Goodreads. I love me some John Scalzi and this didn’t disappoint.

I knew it would be good when I started reading the first sentence in Chapter 1: “Ohio State Route 713 cuts through Darke County like a drunk farmer on a tractor…” The prologue was hilarious as well.

The premise is that a small Ohio town is on the brink with its biggest employer shutting down. Mike Boyd moves back in with his dad and meets a cadre of characters, including a lovable cow. The tagline; Welcome to Richland. Leave your expectations behind. Bring a tarp.”

This story has it all! Theft, extortion, private equity and a little scfi mystery. Worth the read. I hope you get a chance to read it when it releases in November.

[Emily Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much laughing and so much smiling. Very entertaining. Most of the entertainment happens after the 50% mark though. You have to wait for the snowball to gain momentum as it rolls downhill. It's a bit of a unique book, though, in that it would be hard to describe to someone else. They would say "What's it about?" And I would look blankly and say something like "Financially struggling town, embezzlement, and tentacled monsters of indeterminate type?" It's kind of like Seinfeld in that you can't describe what it's about, but you know entertainment was had.

[Mariana · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Monsters of Ohio is a silly little story that eventually turns into a fun read, but omg does it take forever to pick up the pace.

My biggest issue with it is the sheer amount of unnecessary detail. Scalzi spends way too much time dumping character backstories and hyper-specific street directions—like, I really don't need to know every single road intersection in Ohio just to follow the plot.

On top of that, the book keeps skipping the actual interesting parts. Instead of showing big confrontations on-page (like Jim Malone talking to his son), we just get a side scene later where someone mentions the conversation already happened off-screen. Why tease a moment just to skip it?

Once it finally gets moving, the pacing improves, the ending is sweet, and it ends up being a pretty enjoyable ride. Definitely no masterpiece, but a decent 3.5-star read once you power through the slow start.

[Georgen Charnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Mike gets laid off from his government job and returns to his boyhood home, a normal Ohio town where people have their typical squabbles and conflicts, the book builds up with classic horror momentum - mysterious things sensed in the dark, overwhelming feelings of unease. Something is coming... something is growing... And then the book just changes genres. No horror, just transformed folks. What's a few tentacles between neighbors?

I once read a story by Gabriel García Márquez about an angel that fell to earth. The people of the small South American town plucked his feathers out in hopes they would be healing and to use as holy relics. How they interacted with a strange figure in their midst was shaped by their culture. In this story, citizens of this little U.S. town turn into monsters with great bloody explosions. Then they just continued their lives, going to the grocery store, social events, work. While the descriptions of what they look like afterward is a little unspecific (there might have been differences - at one point one is described as looking like Sigmund the Seamonster except with lots of nightmarish teeth and then another time one is described as maybe not having a mouth at all), they were very monstrous, with tentacles. After the "normal" townspeople ascertained that the transformed were not going to eat them, they just shrugged and carried on. In fact, they appreciated that the people who'd transformed into monsters were really nicer people, better at karaoke, and more likely to buy a round at the local pub. They too, interacted with these strange figures in terms of their culture, and that was something along the lines of "shit happens" and "how about that."

I love the Scalzi "reasonable person in the midst of extraordinary circumstances" voice, and this one is a hoot.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Small town Richland, Ohio is on the verge of an employment crisis. There are rumors that the meat packing plant is about to be closed, even though they are profitable and employ most of the town. To boost tourism, and morale, the owners are funding a Monster Mash festival. But it's too little, too late for most of the townspeople who are worried they won't be able to afford groceries, much less a festival. Richland is on the verge of explosion. What happens when it erupts?

This is probably my least favorite Scalzi so far. It took a REALLY long time to get to the main focus of the plot. I almost DNFed it before then. Seriously, I think I was at 40% or so before anything remotely interesting happened. In the end, it was interesting, but the whole beginning was entirely too much buildup for very little payoff.

[Lancelot Schaubert · Rating 5 out of 5]

John handed me a copy at NY Comic Con. Full review:

https://lanceschaubert.substack.com/p...

[Raymond Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a change of government results in the loss of his job in the federal Department of Agriculture, Mike Boyd returns to his father’s home in Ohio only to find more troubles await. The survival of the town is threatened by closure of the plant which is the main employer, and now people are starting to explode. Messily. They are not dead, however, only transformed. Indeed, despite their horrific appearance, they have become . . . nicer people.
This is an ironic fantasy that explores the contrast between appearance and reality. As one of the transformed townspeople argues to the assembled news media, “You’re going to take your pictures and video and you’re going to write stories about us and call us ‘Monsters of Ohio’ or whatever. And that’s fine. But none of us monsters are putting hundreds of people out of work, from a plant that makes money, just so we can get a tax credit, or whatever. There are monsters here, and they’re going to wreck our town. They’re just not us.”
Bret Lawrence is one likely candidate. In response to a reminder that most of the reporters were laid off after the corporation he represents bought up their newspapers, he responds, ‘We right-sized a lot of papers.’ And he has plans for the funds he is administering.
A valuable reminder of the human cost of an unregulated market economy.
Highly recommended.

[Troy Thomas]

CANT WAIT!

[James · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

This review (and many others) plus essays and booklists are now available on my blog!

Have you ever felt so much at once—so angry, so happy, so scared, so excited—that you could just...explode? Well, in the small town of Richland, Ohio, under the looming threat of the town's largest employer shutting down, peoples' fears and frustrations are mounting, ready to erupt. It starts with a cow named Cassie, but soon people and animals all over town are undergoing a transformation, and when the rich pricks start breathing down your neck it pays to be a little monstrous.

As a fan of John Scalzi—I think this is the thirteenth book of his that I've read—this book both was and wasn't what I expected from him. On one hand, it's an out-there premise mostly played straight, grounded in current events and featuring one or more annoying rich guys getting their comeuppance in bizarre and deeply satisfying ways. That's what I've come to expect and it's a solid formula for me to have a good time. That being said, this is a lot slower paced than his other recent standalones. When the Moon Hits Your Eye, Starter Villain, and Kaiju Preservation Society all get right into the plot and are really fast-paced throughout. Monsters of Ohio mostly seems pretty normal until maybe a third of the way in, and even after that you aren't getting all of the POV-changes and time jumps you might expect. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing necessarily, but it's definitely different. I also think there was less humor throughout than I normally expect, which again I don't think really substantially takes away from the story, but together those things maybe left me a little wanting.

Something I love about Scalzi's books are their willingness to take a premise (i.e. the moon has become cheese, people have stopped dying, there's a nature preserve for Kaiju, etc.) and take it to its furthest extent. All of these scenarios have really wild implications, and I love when the premise effects something I never would have thought about. Monsters of Ohio is a fun book with a similarly intriguing premise and a nice, satisfying plot arc, but it didn't take the idea as far as I would have liked. I think for it to do so, it would have needed the faster pace, and taking the idea to the extremes probably would have resulted in more humor. So, I don't know. I like this book just comparing it against other books, but comparing it against some of Scalzi's other books, I'm not sure it holds up as much.

Either way, I had a good time with it and I think others will too. As always, I look forward to Scalzi's next project because they never fail to be equal parts weird and wonderful!

Thank you to John Scalzi and Tor Books for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Happy reading!

[Lou Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

MONSTERS OF OHIO by John Scalzi
Publication: November 2026 by Tor Books



John Scalzi never fails to please as he once again presents an absurd situation, and somehow provides a comedic backdrop, and yet successfully satirizes a contemporary societal ill. Our main protagonist, Mike Boyd, has lost his governmental job, and returns to his small hometown roots of Richland, Ohio. The main employer of the town is Branson Foods, actually a successful enterprise with a decent profit margin. It recently was acquired by a private-equity firm (read corporate raider.) The owners see much greater wealth value in closing it down, after dismantling the operation. The consequences of this are far reaching, that extend beyond all the lost jobs, and will effect friendships, marriages, and even the town’s identity.
Then the absurd premise, the town is the site of a unique soil structure as a result of a toxic spill decades ago. The town’s population has been exposed for years to the deleterious effects and unknown to everyone will be the surprising effects. Everyone seem to be under extreme stress due to the anticipated closure. Suddenly people and animals begin to explode into a gory mess, as Scalzi so horrifically describes. What results is an absurd construct, hardly identifiable, but essentially a monster of sorts with tentacles. The people say they actually “feel fine” and are happier than before, and their relationships are much more satisfying. Mike will reconnect with his childhood friend, Dave Prost, the town’s only police officer. They join forces to investigate this weird situation.
Scalzi with humor and insight poses the real question. Who are the Monsters? The recently exploded people and animals with tentacles, or the corporate owner’s willing to decimate an entire town for the sake of greed? This certainly is not hard science fiction or gory horror novel, but rather a fun satirical romp. Scalzi amazingly succeeds in propelling his social satire with crisp dialogue and pacing, escalating to a hopeful denouement. I aways look forward to opening another Scalzi tale, with it’s ever present social satire, shrouded in his speculative fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

[Mella aka Maron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Books for the eARC!

I typically love Scalzi books, but this one was very different than the other ones I’ve read. It has SO many povs for a less than 300 page book. It’s a lot trying to keep all the townspeople and outsiders straight. It’s also a lot less sci fi than usual. The main plot is kind of political and kind of personal… the science fiction piece takes a backseat and is more of a “little side bit” in my opinion.

I much prefer when his books use the science fiction plot as the main plot or when the main plot is mystery shrouded in science fiction goodness. Like Lock In or Dispatcher.

Ultimately, I understood what Scalzi was going for. I am sure that more politically minded people will have fun analyzing this book but that’s not me. I thought it was extremely straightforward and blunt; I don’t need to overanalyze it.

I would only recommend this to fans of contemporary books that are more political in nature and also you have to be okay with body horror… there’s a lot of it!

[Kenya Starflight · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book via a Goodreads giveaway, hence why this review is showing up before the publication date. John Scalzi is one of my favorite authors, and I was tickled to get a sneak peek at his latest book. He's able to tackle weighty topics and big ideas with wit, humor, and warmth, and his books discuss important matters without ever getting so heavy that they're painful. Monsters of Ohio may not have the most original of statements to make -- that "capitalism is the REAL monster" -- but it's still a topical read with plenty of laughs.

Mike moves back to Richland, Ohio to live with his dad after government cutbacks eliminate his job. He's not thrilled about moving back to this sleepy town -- especially since this town faces its own economic threat, as a private equity firm has purchased the local meat-packing plant with intent to shut it down. But when local pets begin disappearing, a cow literally explodes, and strange changes begin to overtake some of the townsfolk, Mike ends up teaming up with Dave, the local chief of police (and the only officer in town), and newcomer Andi, here to promote the town's new Monster Mash festival, to uncover what's going on. And it turns out the literal monsters appearing amongst the townsfolk aren't the worst monsters...

Scalzi is as funny as always, even when tackling tricky topics like how unchecked capitalism is destroying the lives of ordinary people and how the current political climate is tearing communities apart. These undercurrents run through the story and carry it, but there's enough humor and wisecracking to help lighten the mood. And while Scalzi can sometimes skimp on the descriptions where it counts (something that annoyed me about The Kaiju Preservation Society -- tell me what the kaiju look like please!), here he makes the wise decision to describe just enough of the monsters to get the point across without being gratuitous. It helps to heighten the unnatural horror at play... and makes it even funnier that many of the characters do their best not to react to the body horror.

If I have a complaint, it's that the lead characters are pretty bland. Scalzi's characters all have a tendency to sound the same, which usually isn't a problem for me, but in this case I was almost more invested in the various side characters, such as Mike's parents or the raging racist whose shift to monstrosity forces him to confront what he's done with his life. At least the villain was very much in the "love to hate" camp...

Monsters of Ohio is another solid entry by Scalzi -- maybe not as great as Redshirts, but still very good.

[Jesse Keljo · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Scalzi is back with another wonderfully human sci-fi story that is best described as cozy splatstick, and, if you have never read Scalzi’s books, you might want to consider starting here. Richland, Ohio is a well-drawn stand-in for many Midwest towns whose major employer has been snapped up by private equity and will most assuredly be closed. Entering this scene is Mike, whose stable government job has been pulled out from under him as part of a massive downsizing push that is also too familiar a story. Hat in hand, he is returning home until he can get back on his feet much to his stepmother’s chagrin as she has turned his childhood bedroom into her sewing room.

Thankfully, his high school friend Dave is the law in Richland, and Dave will be keeping Mike busy because some wild things are happening that defy logic and rationality. Joining them is Andi, a PR person hired to help promote a monster-themed festival that is a desperate effort to start a tourism industry in Richland. Of course, there are no monsters for Richland to call its own, but maybe that is changing. Human monster Bret Lawrence is the hack sent by the private equity firm to shut down Bradson Foods, and he is slimier than anything else in the book, which is saying something.

There are no complicated plot devices or complex themes. However, there is a deep, palpable love for people and place and community, which is heartening since the fictional town of Richland is in the very real Darke County where Scalzi resides. So go ahead and treat yourself to a warm, comforting, and wet hug of a book!

Many thanks to Tor Books and NetGalley for providing me with a prepub copy of the eBook for review purposes. My thoughts are my own.

[Miranda · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

This review is based on an advanced copy provided by the publisher.

Scalzi is back, baby! If you, like me, were a long-time Scalzi fan for whom “When the Moon Hits Your Eye” did not quite work, I am very glad to inform you that Monsters of Ohio is a return to form. I absolutely housed this book in 24 hours, and it was a blast. When Scalzi is at his best he’s extremely readable and laugh-out-loud funny, and this book is both.

Mike, who took the DRP and left the USDA, has returned to his parents’ house in Richland, Ohio. His plans are to regroup, apply for some jobs in Cleveland, and save money on rent. But when he goes home, something is rotten in Richland. Private equity is hollowing out the town’s major employer, the local fall festival is teetering on the edge of chaos, and everyone’s pets are acting....strange.

Scalzi is a native of Ohio, and I assume, if you are also an Ohio native, this book is choc full of inside jokes and easter eggs, all of which were entirely wasted on me. But you don’t need to catch them to have a great time in this satisfying tale of corporate comeuppance, small town politics, and tentacles.

Recommended for fans of T. Kingfisher, Bad Blood, and Space Balls.

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monsters of Ohio by John Scalzi is a very highly recommended quirky monster story. Chose your own adventure: this can be an entertaining farcical science fiction story about an amicable, but bloody monster outbreak in a small town, or it could be allegorical tale about contemporary politics. I chose the hilarious, entertaining sci fi option.

The appealing prologue featuring the story of a rabbit, provided a quote (censored and abbreviated) that left me laughing, in tears: "Rabbits absolutely ___ swear. You're a prey animal for ___'s sake, and everything.... is trying to eat you every single moment you exist. You aren't made for any existential crisis." Following this we are introduced to Richland, Ohio, a small town, population 2800, in Darke County. With the impending loss of jobs from the closing of the local meat processing plant Bradson Foods, what the town doesn't need, but finds itself facing, is something strange and explosive happening to animals and people while some other underhanded fraud is underway.

Mike Boyd, a furloughed government USDA employee, is returning to stay with his Dad, Harv, and Harv's wife, Barb in Richland while he looks for a new job in Ohio. Even though he graduated from high school 20 years ago, Mike's immediately recognized by Bill at the gas station and his old friend, Dave Prost, now the Police Chief, has fun pulling him over. Dave and Mike make plans to meet later at Club 713. It is there they run into the new Mayo Caleb Huber, Bret Lawrence, who is there representing Leyton Capital as they prepare to close the Bradson Foods Plant, and Andi Sunders who was brought in to plan the fall festival, the Monster Mash. While there Caleb is call out to the Keller's farm. Something awful has happened to young Jeremy's favorite cow and best friend, Cassie. This portends the messy, but congenial monster outbreak.

I was entertained throughout this well written, fast-paced science fiction story about a bloody, explosive monster outbreak, with tentacles and all, that actually results in everything improving in Richland. There is a plethora of characters introduced, but in a small town everyone pretty much knows everyone else and all their business. The actual narrative focuses on several main characters and it is easy to remember who's who as they are all portrayed as unique individuals with their own distinct voices. The dialogue between characters is natural and flows smoothly. There is a reason for the outbreak that is clearly introduced early in the narrative. The ending ties everything up nicely.

Scalzi's gonna Scalzi (sigh) but I've given Scalzi a hall pass. I have a fluid rule that authors need to keep their editorializing on personal social/political views on contemporary topics to themselves and out of books to extend the longevity of the novel. Most readers will know his opinions will be present in some form, but at least he's talented enough to integrate his allegorical and satirical take on contemporary societal ills into the story and keep it entertaining. Adding the storyline involving executive theft and corporate greed gets a pass too. He should count himself as lucky because I haven't given out many of these special exceptions at all.

Monsters of Ohio is an excellent choice for fans of quirky monster and science fiction stories along with those who enjoy Scalzi's oeuvre. Thanks to Tor Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

https://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/...

[Starr ❇✌❇ · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

*Review to come*

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read somewhere that John Scalzi challenges himself with each new novel he writes by trying to do something he's never done before, such as how he never specified the protagonist's gender in Lock In. Well, the prologue of this novel is in the second person point-of-view, beginning with the sentence, "It is a warm August evening in Ohio, the sun has just set, and you are a rabbit." So my guess is the author's challenge for this novel was to write in the second person point-of-view, and further challenged himself by making that the viewpoint of a rabbit. It's a solid prologue, too. Well done.

As for the novel beyond the prologue, it is neither told in second person, nor from a rabbit's point-of-view, thankfully. Some things are just better in small doses. Instead we are introduced, in standard third person past tense, to a cast of characters that feel like the could easily exist in small town Ohio — including some who had moved away and came back to lick their wounds, and some who have probably never stepped foot beyond the county line in their lives.

The story opens with two notable events on the horizon — an upcoming meeting about the fate of the local meat processing plant, which is the town's largest employer by a wide margin, and is in danger of being shut down by the corporation that's bought out what was previously a family-run business; and the annual soybean festival, which is being rebranded as 'Monster Mash' to pay homage to Ohio's local cryptids, as well as hopefully improving attendance and revenues to the festival. This is what is what we refer to as "subtle foreshadowing." Wink, wink.

We mostly follow around a few characters — a furloughed government employee that's returned from Washington, DC to regroup, a woman that's been brought in to market and run the Monster Mash, the town's only police officer, a corporate executive that's been put in charge of the plant, and the town's mayor.

This set-up is not reminiscent of a typical John Scalzi science-fiction story. In fact, before the monsters started exploding onto the scene — literally — it reminded me a lot of Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books, by Kirsten Miller, a novel I loved, but features no speculative fiction aspects whatsoever. And if this novel never turned that sharp corner into science fiction, and remained just one of small town troubles, I'd have still enjoyed the hell out of it. That said, the monsters did make it better, because of course they did.

The epilogue was satisfying in that it tied up all of the immediate loose ends, but the circumstances of what occurred leaves plenty of room for more stories set in the town of Richland, Ohio. And yes, I would very much like more stories about these characters set in this town, please and thank you.

Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

[Ash · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

#gifted ebook from Tor Publishing

Regardless of whether or not I agree with Scalzi politically, this would have made a heavier punch if it was so politically charged in this moment of time, since that's not actually central to the novel anyway. It was just distracting.

Fun little horror(ish) about a small town doing just fine until private equity jerks sweep in. I can imagine it's a true representation of small town mid-America.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Among its many strong points are an intriguing, well-paced story, great characters, and generous dollops of humour. I’m still laughing at parts of the book. The social commentary was excellent without me feeling like I was being lectured to. I also loved the afterword, so basically it was a great book from start to finish. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the advance reader copy.

[Tristan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to describe this book. Describing it literally makes it sound like a horror novel. A fair description would be, in Monsters of Ohio, town residents explode and turn into tentacled monsters. But that does not accurate convey the tone of Scalzi's book. Instead MoO is a lighthearted book about a small town in Ohio where some long term residents and animals start exploding and turning into monsters. There's no horror because everyone seems to be happy after they explode and turn into a monster. The monsters all seem to be better, kinder, and happier versions of themselves.

In the backdrop of this we have private equity doing what private equity does, ruining the economy.

Scalzi approaches it all in his typical irreverent and hilarious manner. I laughed out loud multiple times while reading. This book is a lot of fun. Not too serious, but not overly goofy.

If you need hard sci-fi with lots of details and realism, look elsewhere. If you like goofy sci-fi, that still provides a commentary on the world we live in, this is your book. Better than "When the Moon Hits Your Eye", but with a very similar tone. On par with "The Kaiju Preservation Society".

[Kristin (mitten_makes_and_reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The residents of small-town Richland, Ohio, are about to fall on very tough-times with the largest employer closing. The stress seems explosive to some unhappy residents and even animals, resulting in actual explosions—but in a very weird way. This cozy sci-fi read is humorous and filled with well-developed characters.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

[Kate Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weird in a great way, written in Scalzi's classic wry humor, an entertaining read.

[Jessica - How Jessica Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

So weird and so funny. Full review coming soon for Shelf Awareness. 🐙 👹

[Kim Teeple · Rating 5 out of 5]

If cozy horror is a thing, John Scalzi absolutely nailed it with Monsters of Ohio. I loved this book from the moment a rabbit decided to cross town for a juicy gray tomato. Scalzi had me completely immersed in this little guy's journey. The rabbit knows he's a prey animal, is deeply unhappy about that fact, and spends much of the trip cursing his circumstances. I laughed out loud more than once and found myself desperately hoping he'd make it across town and get his tomato.

If an author can get me that invested in a foul-mouthed rabbit before Chapter One, that's usually a good sign.

The rest of the book follows Mike Boyd, who returns home to Richland, Ohio, after losing his government job. He comes home just in time to find old classmates working multiple jobs, friends wondering how they're going to pay their bills, and an entire town facing an uncertain future as its largest employer prepares to close.

Oh, and animals and people alike are also exploding.

What surprised me most is how comforting this story is despite all the bloody barns and kitchens, tentacled monsters, mysterious transformations, and general weirdness. Somehow Scalzi takes a premise that should be horrifying and turns it into a genuinely hopeful story about community.

But I'll admit I'm totally biased.

Like the characters, I also spend a lot of time staring at corn and bean fields outside my window. When Scalzi writes about small-town Ohio, people worried about losing jobs, and communities trying to hold themselves together through difficult times, I recognized a lot of it. He basically wrote a horror story about my life.

Well, except for the exploding part. I haven't heard of anyone in Richland County, Ohio spontaneously exploding. (Richland County, not the town of Richland—which is fictional. See Scalzi's Afterward & Acknowledgments to get the dets.)

What I appreciated most was that the book never becomes cynical. There's plenty of satire here, especially aimed at corporate greed and the people who make life-changing decisions without caring about the communities affected by them. But underneath the humor, monsters, and absurdity is a story about neighbors helping neighbors. I loved that!

The story has everything I want from a cozy read: community, humor, heart, and characters who genuinely care about one another. It also has exploding townspeople and tentacled cats, which admittedly isn't a requirement for me, but apparently it helps.

If you're looking for straight horror, this might not be scary enough for you.

If you're looking for a funny, weird, hopeful story about ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances, read this immediately.

And if you're from Ohio, there's a pretty good chance you'll recognize some of these people.

Thanks to NetGalley & Tor Publishing for providing an advanced copy of Monsters of Ohio.

[Hope (bookedwithhope) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Speculative / Science Fiction + Mystery
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 • 🌶️
🖋️ writing • 💃🏻 characters • 🧠 themes

•••••••••••••••

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝...
‣ Mysteriously absurd situations 🐙
‣ Satirization of our current society
‣ Plenty of comedy
‣ Literal explosions 💥
‣ Corporate greed, private equity, + extortion
‣ Small towns coming together
‣ Exploring what—and who—is a monster 👹

𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨…
John Scalzi is a science fiction king, and he continues to prove that with 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐡𝐢𝐨. My first Scalzi novel was 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧, and I believe this one follows in a similar vein with a comedic backdrop on our current state of our society and politics.

In this <300 page novel, we get many points of view of residents of the town of Richland and people who are involved with the town's main source of employment, Bradson Foods. A corporation that strips businesses for parts has bought the plant and plans to shut it down, leaving many people in Richland out of a job or pension. As you can imagine, this causes quite the uproar in the town and brings up a lot of... explosive feelings for Richlanders.

Alongside the plant issue, lots of strange sightings have happened in Richland, and people's pets are going missing on the daily. And then there are the people who have, quite literally and physically, changed. But why are they experiencing these transformations? And who is next?

Know going into this one that you aren't going to get all the answers. I was left with many questions, but I think it's fine that everything wasn't explained. Some things don't need to be explained and can just be left as a big question mark.

I really like how Scalzi explored the way we tend to keep our feelings bottled up and how that can cause emotional explosions. But instead of just emotional, he took that a step further and added in some extra gore and viscera. 🐙

𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐡𝐢𝐨 is a poignant novel with plenty of commentary on capitalism, greed, small town politics, and interpersonal relationships. Though the situations are absurd, the feelings are universal. I think a lot of people will find themselves in this monstrous novel.

Thank you to Tor for the advanced reading copy! All opinions are my own.