Self-discovery
Self-discovery is an incredibly important theme in Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century. Throughout the story, in each collection, each character goes on a journey of self-discovery. First, they start to discover who they are, what their interests are, and the things that define them. They also discover their powers or their monster traits (like wings, for instance), as well as how the world works. To that end, each character must look into themselves to find out more about themselves and the world.
Radical acceptance
Radical acceptance is another important theme in the book. Throughout the book, each character must accept who they are and their monster characteristic (like wings or hooves, for instance). Then, each character must accept the situation they are in. For some, that means accepting strange situations, like a house that has become infested with bugs straight out of a Kafka novel. For others, that means dealing with strange things, like a haunted doll. Above all, though, each character in the novel must radically accept who they are, where they are, and what they must deal with.
Loneliness
Loneliness is a significant theme in Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century. In the first story of the collection, for instance, which is titled "Pre-Simulation Consultation XF007867," the main character is incredibly lonely. To pass time and get some companionship and friendship in his life, he interacts with a simulation. He doesn't have anyone else in his life and has no other social outlet. The theme of loneliness is also present in "Twenty Hours." In that story, a married couple is slowly killing each other. Typically, married couples provide each other with companionship and friendship. No healthy married couple should be lonely; the married couple in "Twenty Hours" is, which shows the dangers of loneliness.
