Humor erupts as people change in 'Monsters of Ohio' by John Scalzi
Humor erupts as people change in 'Monsters of Ohio' by John Scalzi
Barbara McIntyre, Special to the Akron Beacon JournalSun, November 1, 2026 at 11:02 AM UTC
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Ohio has monsters: Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s “Grassman,” the Melon Heads of Kirtland, Lake Erie Bessie. In “Monsters of Ohio,” a gleefully grotesque science fiction-horror novel by John Scalzi, the monsters are your neighbors.
It’s set in fictional Richland, near Scalzi’s real-life hometown of Bradford in Darke County. Former resident Mike Boyd, bassist in a onetime minor rock band and more recently a press release writer for the Department of Agriculture, has returned to Richland after “this administration happened” to him. He’ll have to stay with his estranged father and stepmother, who does nothing but complain.
Mike goes for a jog and notices a lot of posters for missing pets, many more than seem consistent with the town population. Mike’s old friend Dave, now the town cop, is called to a farm where a cow seems to have exploded.
The town’s lackluster annual Soybean Festival is being replaced with a Monster Mash, celebrating Ohio’s cryptids. It’s a contrivance to distract the locals from thinking about the expected closing of the town’s largest employer, a food processing plant. The locals soon find other things to distract them.
Then people start exploding, but after the initial surprise they don’t seem too upset about it. Somehow they’re better people – nicer, though they’re only sort-of people now with sort-of faces, like the cow is a sort-of cow, with tentacles. One character says “I exploded, didn’t I? So that’s probably not good. But I feel fine.”
It’s terrifically funny, with the humor as pervasive as the gore, but still conveys a statement about who the real monsters are, citing corporate greed, political corruption and intolerance.
“Monsters of Ohio” (272 pages, hardcover) costs $29.99 from Tor Books. John Scalzi’s novel “Redshirts” won the 2013 Hugo Award, and “When the Moon Hits Your Eye” is nominated for the 2027 Thurber Prize for American Humor. He will sign “Monsters of Ohio” at 2 p.m. Nov. 7 at Hudson Library & Historical Society, 96 Library St.
Events
Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library (Eastlake branch, 36706 Lake Shore Blvd.): Lisa Morton, author of “Aligned at Home: How Feng Shui and Holistic Design Can Restore Your Energy and Well-Being,” talks about Color Mastery, 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 2. Register at we247.org.
Cuyahoga County Public Library (Chagrin Falls branch, 100 E. Orange St.): Jennifer Boresz Engelking discusses “Hidden History of Lake Erie,” 6 to 7 p.m. Nov. 2. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.
Mentor Public Library (8215 Mentor Ave.): Wendy Koile talks about “Love, Lies, and Murder in Northern Ohio, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Nov. 2. From 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3, Jim Sweeney talks about “Cleveland's Naughty Parts: True Tales of Vice, Scandal and Bad Behavior.” Register at mentorpl.org.
Shaker Library (16500 Van Aken Blvd.): Susan Orlean discusses her memoir “Joyride,” 6:30 to 8 p.m. Nov. 2. Register at shakerlibrary.org.
Minglewood Distilling (437 E. South St., Wooster): The Buckeye Book Crawl, a leadup to the Buckeye Book Fair, begins with Dave Eifert, author of “Cleveland Curse,” 7 to 8 p.m. Nov. 2. Register at wcpl.info.
Kent State University (Founders Hall, 330 University Drive NE, New Philadelphia): Children’s author Jenn Bishop (“Things You Can’t Say”) appears at the One Book, One Community event, 7 p.m. Nov. 2.
Cuyahoga Falls Library: Asha Frost, author of “You Are the Medicine: 13 Indigenous Teachings to Connect to Your Inner Wisdom, Reclaim Your Power, and Heal,” joins the Virtual Author Chat series with “Reclaiming Your Inner Wisdom,” 2 to 3 p.m. Nov. 3. Register at fallslibrary.org.
Grigio Wine & Cocktail Bar (211 S. Market St., Wooster): The Buckeye Book Crawl continues with Wendy Koile, 7 to 8 p.m. Nov. 3. Register at wcpl.info.
Visible Voice Books (4601 Lorain Ave., Cleveland): Miranda Ollstein talks to Oberlin professor emeritus Steven Volk about “Side Effects: How Abortion Bans Impact Everyone’s Health,” 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 4. From 6:30 to 8 p.m. Nov. 5, podcaster Andy J. Pizza signs “Mysterious Things;” the $15 admission includes a copy of the book. Register at visiblevoicebooks.com.
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Cuyahoga County Public Library (Orange branch, 31975 Chagrin Blvd., Pepper Pike): Anna Rasche talks about her novel “The Cursed Diamond,” 7 to 8 p.m. Nov. 3. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.
Akron-Summit County Public Library (Northwest Akron branch, 1720 Shatto Ave.): Marlene Targ Brill talks about her middle-grade biography “Judith Resnik: Unsung Astronaut,” 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Nov. 4.
Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library (Willoughby branch, 30 Public Square): Tara Nurin, author of “A Woman's Place Is in the Brewhouse: A Forgotten History of Alewives, Brewsters, Witches, and CEOs,” presents “The History of Women in Beer and Ohio’s Temperance Movement,” 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4.
Music Box Supper Club (1148 Main Ave., Cleveland): Regina Brett, author of “52 Words That Will Change Your Life …One Week at a Time,” and Scott Simon, author of “Scare Your Soul: 7 Powerful Principles to Harness Fear and Lead Your Most Courageous Life,” join the Inspiring Stories Dinner Parties series, 7 p.m. Nov. 4. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 day of show; dinner is from the menu. Go to musicboxcle.com.
Broken Rocks Café & Bakery/Rox Gastropub (123 East Liberty St., Wooster): The Buckeye Book Crawl continues with Brandy Gleason, author of “Unique Eats and Eateries of Ohio,” 7 to 8 p.m. Nov. 4. Register at wcpl.info.
Hudson Library & Historical Society (96 Library St.): Edgar Award-nominated David Rosenfelt talks about “Bark Humbug: An Andy Carpenter Mystery,” 34th in a series about a dog-loving New Jersey lawyer, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 5. At 2 p.m. Nov. 7, John Scalzi discusses “Monsters of Ohio.” Register at hudsonlibrary.org.
Wayne County Public Library (222 W. Liberty St., Wooster): Marlene Targ Brill closes out the Buckeye Book Crawl with “Judith Resnik: Unsung Astronaut,” 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5. Register at wcpl.info.
Cuyahoga County Public Library (Bay Village branch, 27400 Wolf Road): Journalist Amanda Uhle talks to City Club CEO Dan Moulthrop about her memoir “Destroy This House,” 7 to 8 p.m. Nov. 5. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.
Mac’s Backs (1807 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights): August Lamm discusses “You Don't Need a Smartphone: A Practical Guide to Downgrading Your Phone and Upgrading Your Life,” 7 p.m. Nov. 6.
Greystone Event Center (50 Riffel Road, Wooster): The 39th Buckeye Book Fair brings more than 100 authors including Thrity Umrigar, Jeanine Cummins, Linda Castillo, Amanda Flower, Mindy McGinnis and Mark Dawidziak. 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 7. See the list at buckeyebookfair.org.
Learned Owl Book Shop (204 N. Main St., Hudson): Christina Scalise signs her children’s book “Elroo and Me,” 11 a.m. Nov. 7.
Akron-Summit County Public Library (60 S. High St.): Robert Haag, author of “Mound Builder Shovel Pendants,” discusses Native American trails in Northeast Ohio, 11 a.m. to noon Nov. 7. Register at akronlibrary.org.
The Wandering Lantern (15729 Madison Ave., Lakewood): Aliyah Kennedy reads from her storybooks, including “Sleep Tight, Ammonite,” 11 a.m. to noon Nov. 7. Register at thewanderinglantern.com.
Akron-Summit County Public Library (Green branch, 4046 Massillon Road): Green native Madeline C. Lansche reads from her storybook “Floppy’s Home: Bats Just Want Friends Too,” 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 7.
Rodman Public Library (215 E. Broadway, Alliance): The Fogle Author Series continues with Rebecca Spencer McCurdy (“Gracious Living and Hospice 101”), 1 p.m. Nov. 7. Register at rodmanlibrary.com.
Email information about books of local interest and event notices at least two weeks in advance to beaconbooktalk@gmail.com. I tweet at @BarbaraMcI.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Humor erupts as people change in 'Monsters of Ohio' by John Scalzi
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