A companion piece to shounen counterpart, this is still a fascinating anthology that not only creates interesting new tales in a familiar world, but also gives English-language readers a chance to experience the work of some manga creators whose larger body of work isn't available to them.

Among the familiar names in this anthology are Yui Kuroe's “Parasyte Love,” which envisions an otome game where you can date (or be eaten by) the handsome young parasitized man of your choice. It's just as insane as it sounds, and Kuroe's story is among the most absurd in the book.

Both Asumiko Nakamura and Kaori Yuki are no strangers to horror, psychological or otherwise, which makes both of their contributions stand out. Readers familiar with Vertical's release of Nakamura's Utsubora will the psychological manipulation that marks that story, and her tale “Macabre Goods” is in the same vein. It features a vendor who sells parasites out of his old-fashioned shop to those who want them for whatever dark reasons, and he perhaps doesn't try as hard as he could to dissuade them from their purchases. It's reminiscent of Laurell K. Hamilton's early short story “Those Who Seek Forgiveness” combined with the W. W. Jacobs classic “The Monkey's Paw,” making it the most overtly literary piece in the collection. It also requires the least familiarity with Iwaaki's original, although Kaori Yuki's “The God of Never Never” could share that distinction, as it relies more on Yuki's own particular brand of storytelling than Parasyte itself. In neither case is that a bad thing, and in of the more horror-themed pieces in the anthology both are very strong contenders for the best, possibly because the creators themselves are so comfortable telling dark and grim tales.

If we're to move away from strictly adhering to the original manga's genre, the stand-out piece is Palm,” although that story is much more overtly in the horror genre.

Neo Parasyte f is a good short story collection on its own, as its predecessor Neo Parasyte m is. While familiarity with the original series is recommended for several of the specific stories, others can be enjoyed on their own, because the basic concept of Iwaaki's world isn't difficult to understand. With its variety of art styles and storytelling techniques, to say nothing of the chance to get to sample some creators we haven't previously seen in English, this is a book well worth reading, even if it's been a while since you last read or watched Parasyte.