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

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. 
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