A review by acouplereadss
Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Please come consume these 12 unsettling, unforgettable tales. This horror adjacent collection of stories will pull you out of your comfort and throw you into where technology and nature are questioned, where present and future meld together and science and science fiction blur. Think Black Mirror on paper.

All of the stories got under my skin in a different way. Some through technology, others through mental health, social media obsessions, and then some through the possibility of science fiction coming to life. My favourite that stood out above all the others was Time Cubes. A story of a woman who befriends a salesman that sells cubes designed to control the aging of living things. The ending still gives me full body chills. A deep mental health exploration.

Runner ups include:
Twenty Hours, a story featuring a married couple that take turns murdering one another only to be recreated by a sort of 3D printer where your consciousness can be transferred. Unique take on the consequences of living forever.

Sandman, where an insomniac can only sleep once she succumbs to the Sandman. A place where dreams, nightmares and lucid dreaming intersect.

The Doll, a group of children find a cursed doll that causes strange experiences and deaths to occur. Quite simply, haunting.

And more! Discover these and other strange and bizarre stories in Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century. Thank you @coachhousebooks for sending a copy my way, absolutely loved it, 5✨.

ID: @acouplereads holding up a copy of Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century with bookcases filled with books behind.