Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century, author Kim Fu's short story collection published in 2022, tells twelve strange and unique stories about monsters in the 21st century. For example, one story follows a young girl who grows wings on her legs. Rather than being seen as strange, though, the wings are seen as a normal rite of passage for the girl into adulthood. Another story follows a runaway bride who, after skipping out on her wedding day, encounters a sea monster. And another story is set in a house that becomes infested with bugs straight out of a Kafka horror novel.
Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century was called one of the best books of 2022 by a number of media outlets, including TIME Magazine, which named the book one of the ten best of the year. In their glowing review of Fu's collection, the New York Times wrote that "The strange and wonderful define Kim Fu’s story collection, where the line between fantasy and reality fades in and out, elusive and beckoning." NPR felt similarly, writing that Fu's collection is "full of surprises and strange new things—and those make for truly addictive reading. This collection cements Fu as one of the most exciting short story writers in contemporary literature."
