Reviews

Méně známé nestvůry 21. století by Kim Fu

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annamickreads's review against another edition

4.0

The first short story in this book made me laugh and then cry really hard and that's basically how the rest went the whole way through!!

I've read a few short story compilations in the past month and what I really appreciate about this one is the use of descriptive language. Language really helps dig into a scene especially when they're short, and the descriptors didn't have to be elegant to make the words float off the page. My favorite stories in this book are "Pre-Simulation Consultation XF007867," "Liddy, First to Fly," "In This Fantasy," and "Bridezilla."

I noticed a pattern in the stories, that the sweet always goes along with the sad, or sometimes lonely. A lot of the protagonists, even the ones in relationships, had this feeling of isolation to them that paired well with the often fantastical premises of the stories they were in. It's easier to believe in anything if you feel like you have nothing, right? It was gorgeous and realistic and captivating.

Anyways I'd be really excited to read a full-length novel of anything Kim Fu has to offer!

itskiki's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
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

shannonsmoot's review against another edition

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challenging dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

salam_'s review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

This is the best short story collection I’ve read in a while, possibly even the best I’ve ever read. Every story was captivating and strong.
Kim Fu’s prose is gripping, her writing style is beautiful and the themes she explores are the perfect medium between speculative, dystopian, and exploring the human condition at large.
This book was described to me as “like episodes of Black Mirror” and that’s just my cup of tea. I enjoyed all the stories thoroughly, even the ones that I rated low were not bad, just didn’t have quite a punch like the others. Here are my rating for each story individually:

Pre-simulation: 4.5/5
Liddy, First to Fly: 4/5
Time Cubes: 3/5
#ClimbingNation : 5/5 ✨
Sandman: 3/5
Twenty Hours: 4/5
The Doll: 3/5
In This Fantasy: 2.5/5
Scissors: 4/5
June Bugs: 5/5 ✨
Bridezilla: 2/5
Do You Remember Candy?:4/5