Beer Cans on the Moon

I’ll admit, I side-eyed the premise at first: a sci-fi finale where the fate of reality hinges on *government funding*? But *Beer Cans on the Moon* won me over by leaning *hard* into its own ridiculousness. Yoakum takes the trope of ‘plucky underdogs saving the galaxy’ and drowns it in a sea of paperwork, where the real villain might be a sentient AI accountant named *Dave-7*. The humor lands because it’s specific—jokes about interstellar tax audits and a planet where the currency is *likes* feel like they were ripped from a Twitter thread written by a disgruntled NASA intern. Bildner’s narration is a masterclass in comedic timing. He nails the dry, exasperated tone of characters who’ve long since accepted that the universe is a joke, but they’re still filling out the punchline. My only critique? The middle act sags slightly under the weight of its own meta-commentary—Yoakum’s satire occasionally tips into *explaining* the joke rather than trusting the absurdity to speak for itself. And while the production is clean, a few sound effects (like the *clack* of a stamp on digital paperwork) could’ve elevated the audiobook’s already strong comedic rhythm. Still, by the time the crew’s final, beer-soaked gambit unfolds, I was fully invested. This isn’t a book about heroes; it’s about the glorious, messy act of *trying*—preferably with a drink in hand and a resignation letter in your back pocket.