Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century

I was so excited to pick up this collection when it first made the rounds online and it did not disappoint!

This would be a great intro collection for those wanting to dip their toes into the weirder speculative fiction/fabulism elements of literature. Fu's writing is clear, imaginative, and compelling and it was a joy to read each story and figure out what the small (or sometimes large) tweak to the world was.

Also major points for a gorgeous cover design and amazing, luxurious paper (Zephyr Antique Laid paper from second growth forests for those interested).

Stories and my brief thoughts:
Pre-Simulation Consultation XF007867 - 5 stars: All dialogue with really good banter and cool concept
Liddy, First to Fly - 5 stars: Puberty already sucks, why you gotta grow ankle wings too?
Time Cubes - 4.5 stars: I could see this tech fucking everybody up - and that's why I avoid the random mall stands
#ClimbingNation - 5 stars: I could see this being a true crime story easily
Sandman - 4 stars: Insomnia's never been so sexy - or disturbing
Twenty Hours - 5 stars: The best opening paragraph... and they should just go to therapy instead
The Doll - 5 stars: The kind of imagination that you don't know if it's all in the kids' heads or not
In This Fantasy - 4 stars: The narrator would be a fantastic storyteller when having drinks at the bar
Scissors - 4 stars: exhibitionism with an edge
June Bugs - 5 stars: So many creepy crawly feelings and it wasn't just the bugs (infestation as a metaphor for abusive relationships is brilliant and disturbing)
Bridezilla - 5 stars: That's one way to get out of a wedding
Do You Remember Candy - 5 stars: Probably inspired by covid and an awful possibility for those of us who love food

Content Warnings

rorikae's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

'Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century' by Kim Fu is a lightly speculative short story collection that has a few standout stories and a number that I wished had gone a little bit further. I would consider this a literary fiction collection with speculative elements, often just a slightly enhanced version of our everyday lives. Fu tackles a number of subjects including grief, climate change, and abusive relationships. My favorites in the collection were those that had a little more time to develop or clearly cut to the point immediately. The collection starts with one of my favorite stories, 'Pre-Simulation Consultation XF007867,' which discusses grief and virtual reality. The collection ends with my favorite story in the entire collection, 'Do You Remember Candy,' which deals with the fallout when people can suddenly no longer derive enjoyment from eating food and how one woman seeks to recreate these lost experiences for others. Two other stories that stood out to me in the middle of the collection include, 'Twenty Hours,' which questions what one couple would do if they had a printer that would reprint them, consciousness and all, if they were to die and 'June Bugs,' where a woman fleeing an abusive relationship finds herself plagued by an infestation of June bugs at her new home.
My favorite aspects of Fu's stories are the creative ideas and how she utilizes them to explore difficult subjects. I do wish that many of these stories went further. Some were rather quick and felt as if they were getting to the true meaning of what was happening right before they abruptly ended. Though I would read more of Fu's stories in the future, I think I would seek them out individually instead of seeking out an entire collection. The pieces I highlighted are great stories that really make you think and I would highly recommend them, even if I wouldn't recommend the full collection itself to everyone. I would be interested in Fu's longer works as I think when given the time to really explore her ideas, her stories flourish.

Content Warnings

kb_sherman's review

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adventurous dark funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

marissab's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A perfect weird blend of surreal premises and real emotions

Content Warnings

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