The title of the story, "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street," suggests that something threatening or dangerous is coming to the peaceful suburban street of Maple Street. Steve's joke about being on a monster kick relates to this title because it foreshadows the paranoia and fear that soon grips the residents of Maple Street when they start suspecting each other of being monsters. Just as Steve jokingly suggests a fascination with monsters, the characters in the story become fixated on the idea of a monster among them, leading to their own downfall.
