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Objects of Worship
Introducing twelve strange, eerie, sensual stories by a bold new voice in weird fiction, with illustrations by Rupert Capricious gods rule a world of women. Zombies breed human cattle. The son of a superhero must decide between his heritage and his religion. Young lovers worship a primordial spider god. The apocalyptic rebirth of the god of the elephants. Monstrous chimeras roam through a devastated future Earth. A retired fisherman caught in the middle of a conflict between gods and superheroes. Teenagers struggle to survive a surreal ice age...
276 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
7 people are currently reading
645 people want to read
About the author
Claude Lalumière
127 books56 followersMontreal writer Claude Lalumière is the author of the story collections
Objects of Worship
,
Nocturnes and Other Nocturnes
, and
Altre persone / Other Persons
and of the mosaic works
The Door to Lost Pages
and
Venera Dreams: A Weird Entertainment
. He has edited fourteen anthologies, including two Aurora Award—nominated volumes in the Tesseracts series. His first fiction – “Bestial Acts” – appeared in Interzone in 2002, and he has since published more than 100 stories; his work has been translated into French, Italian, Polish, Spanish, Serbian, Hungarian, Romanian, Turkish, and Russian and adapted for stage, screen, audio, and comics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 13, 2015
Quite honestly, I only really liked about half of these dozen stories, but because they were so well written, oozing with life and imagination, four stars it is.
March 17, 2019
I can't help but to notice how eccentric the writer is. The stories are unique, ranging from metaphysics, divination, history, science, superhero etc.
Oddly satisfying.
Oddly satisfying.
July 14, 2011
I picked this book up for cheap when a nearby Borders shut down, and well, I have to say that I'm glad I didn't pay full price for it.
I love short stories, particularly as a vehicle for weird or speculative fiction. Lalumière's book looked promising, full of superheroes and zombies and old gods. Unfortunately, while Lalumière does play with some interesting ideas here and there, too many of these stories function as little more than half-baked mashups retreading worlds, characters, and concepts borrowed (in a slightly altered form) from other sources. It's very clear that Lalumière has a great deal of love and affection for the sources from which he's drawing his inspiration, but that alone can't carry this collection for me. Several stories feel as though they have had altogether too many ideas shoehorned into them. Others take hold of something interesting, but, like drafts of stories left unfinished, never quite seem to get where they're going.
Lalumière's prose wavers between being attractively spare and just plain wooden. His dialogue nearly always falls into that latter category, and his characters are mostly wafer-thin.
One thing that I will praise Lalumière for, however, is his refusal to fall into the usual system of heteronormativity. These stories portray relationships of a wide variety of shapes and sizes as commonplace - gay, straight, even polyamorous. It's nice to see so-called nontraditional relationships portrayed as not only viable, but so normal that there is no need to render any kind of explicit explanation regarding them.
Overall, this book leans too heavily on the ideas behind the stories, while the stories themselves and the characters therein are underdeveloped. There's too much flash here, and not enough substance to support it.
I love short stories, particularly as a vehicle for weird or speculative fiction. Lalumière's book looked promising, full of superheroes and zombies and old gods. Unfortunately, while Lalumière does play with some interesting ideas here and there, too many of these stories function as little more than half-baked mashups retreading worlds, characters, and concepts borrowed (in a slightly altered form) from other sources. It's very clear that Lalumière has a great deal of love and affection for the sources from which he's drawing his inspiration, but that alone can't carry this collection for me. Several stories feel as though they have had altogether too many ideas shoehorned into them. Others take hold of something interesting, but, like drafts of stories left unfinished, never quite seem to get where they're going.
Lalumière's prose wavers between being attractively spare and just plain wooden. His dialogue nearly always falls into that latter category, and his characters are mostly wafer-thin.
One thing that I will praise Lalumière for, however, is his refusal to fall into the usual system of heteronormativity. These stories portray relationships of a wide variety of shapes and sizes as commonplace - gay, straight, even polyamorous. It's nice to see so-called nontraditional relationships portrayed as not only viable, but so normal that there is no need to render any kind of explicit explanation regarding them.
Overall, this book leans too heavily on the ideas behind the stories, while the stories themselves and the characters therein are underdeveloped. There's too much flash here, and not enough substance to support it.
February 27, 2011
Finished Objects of Worship (2009) by Claude Lalumière the other day on the way to work. Objects of Worship is a collection of 12 short stories. Describing them as strange would be an understatement. This collection abounds with zombies, superheroes and gods.
About the only other contemporary writer I read much of whose short fiction is this strange, is John Shirley. But other than pure strangeness the two writers’ works have little in common. Shirley’s stories frequently edge into the horrific and are generally dark, while these stories of Lalumière’s have a sense of wonder. Although the subject matter can be horrific I wouldn’t call the stories themselves dark. Oddly, the strangeness is somewhat intensified by not being strange to the characters.
I’m not a zombie fan, but I enjoyed both the zombie stores. “The Ethical Treatment of Meat” was disturbing and reminded me somewhat of “In the Barn” by Piers Anthony (from Again, Dangerous Visions) and “A Visit to the Optometrist” was especially interesting. I am a fan of superheroes and enjoyed all the superhero stories, especially “Hochelaga and Sons”; “Spiderkid” (at the intersection of superheroes and gods) was also interesting, although a touch disturbing. In the afterword Lalumière claims ”Spiderkid” is a loving tribute to the work of Steve Ditko (co-creator of Spider-Man), it felt more like a tribute to J. Michael Straczynski’s run on the character.
Although I wouldn’t classify this book as horror, it’s not for the squeamish. “Objects of Worhip” in particular contains some pretty disturbing images. Nor is it for the prudish. The inclusion of “The Place Where Nothing Happens” by itself gives the book an R rating.
My favourite story is probably the last, “This is the Ice Age”. It’s the relatively simple story of two teenagers living in Montreal in the aftermath of the apocalypse. It had some of the feeling of the early chapters of Stephen King’s The Stand.
All in all, I enjoyed Objects of Worship and I’ll keep my eyes open for more books by Claude Lalumière.
About the only other contemporary writer I read much of whose short fiction is this strange, is John Shirley. But other than pure strangeness the two writers’ works have little in common. Shirley’s stories frequently edge into the horrific and are generally dark, while these stories of Lalumière’s have a sense of wonder. Although the subject matter can be horrific I wouldn’t call the stories themselves dark. Oddly, the strangeness is somewhat intensified by not being strange to the characters.
I’m not a zombie fan, but I enjoyed both the zombie stores. “The Ethical Treatment of Meat” was disturbing and reminded me somewhat of “In the Barn” by Piers Anthony (from Again, Dangerous Visions) and “A Visit to the Optometrist” was especially interesting. I am a fan of superheroes and enjoyed all the superhero stories, especially “Hochelaga and Sons”; “Spiderkid” (at the intersection of superheroes and gods) was also interesting, although a touch disturbing. In the afterword Lalumière claims ”Spiderkid” is a loving tribute to the work of Steve Ditko (co-creator of Spider-Man), it felt more like a tribute to J. Michael Straczynski’s run on the character.
Although I wouldn’t classify this book as horror, it’s not for the squeamish. “Objects of Worhip” in particular contains some pretty disturbing images. Nor is it for the prudish. The inclusion of “The Place Where Nothing Happens” by itself gives the book an R rating.
My favourite story is probably the last, “This is the Ice Age”. It’s the relatively simple story of two teenagers living in Montreal in the aftermath of the apocalypse. It had some of the feeling of the early chapters of Stephen King’s The Stand.
All in all, I enjoyed Objects of Worship and I’ll keep my eyes open for more books by Claude Lalumière.
March 17, 2012
Mr LaLumiere is an author worth checking out. His short story collection here is visionary, creative, and original. And often times disturbing, as well.
Here are my impressions on a few of the stories:
Objects of Desire
Very disturbing and weird. Thrusts the reader into a bizarre world where creepy little household 'gods' are worshipped, and they occasionally decide to knock up their exclusively female worshippers. It was icky, but compelling.
The Ethical Treatment of Meat
A zombie story from the point of view of the zombies. A great example of how POV can change everything in a story. Funny, disgusting, ultimately satisfying. Don't read too close to a meal time.
Hochelaga and Sons
One of my favorites of the collection. A superhero story, but really a story about the rifts and connections between two sons and a father. It was touching and intriguing, and really nothing like any of the other stories.
Some of the stories did seem too big for the short story mode--like Destroyer of Worlds, for instance. It felt like a novel jammed down into a short space. CL writes in his back notes that DoW was indeed much bigger in its original form; it would be interesting to see that version and compare it.
Other stories were compelling, but fell flat at the end. The best example of this was A Place Where Nothing Ever Happens. The characters are great--very real and interesting--and the plot had me hooked. Essentially, the dead start making phone calls to the living for a short period of time, and obviously that hits on some really primal ideas and concepts. But the end was so flat and anti-climactic it nearly ruined the entire story.
In all, a worthwhile collection. Those who like non-conventional speculative fiction probably would find it a good read.
Here are my impressions on a few of the stories:
Objects of Desire
Very disturbing and weird. Thrusts the reader into a bizarre world where creepy little household 'gods' are worshipped, and they occasionally decide to knock up their exclusively female worshippers. It was icky, but compelling.
The Ethical Treatment of Meat
A zombie story from the point of view of the zombies. A great example of how POV can change everything in a story. Funny, disgusting, ultimately satisfying. Don't read too close to a meal time.
Hochelaga and Sons
One of my favorites of the collection. A superhero story, but really a story about the rifts and connections between two sons and a father. It was touching and intriguing, and really nothing like any of the other stories.
Some of the stories did seem too big for the short story mode--like Destroyer of Worlds, for instance. It felt like a novel jammed down into a short space. CL writes in his back notes that DoW was indeed much bigger in its original form; it would be interesting to see that version and compare it.
Other stories were compelling, but fell flat at the end. The best example of this was A Place Where Nothing Ever Happens. The characters are great--very real and interesting--and the plot had me hooked. Essentially, the dead start making phone calls to the living for a short period of time, and obviously that hits on some really primal ideas and concepts. But the end was so flat and anti-climactic it nearly ruined the entire story.
In all, a worthwhile collection. Those who like non-conventional speculative fiction probably would find it a good read.
June 1, 2015
I really enjoyed the first tale in this collection of Weird stories ("The Object of Worship"). In its own peculiar--and I use that word affectionately--way, it captured the emotional complexity of the breakdown of a relationship between two women, particularly the surreal experience of realizing the person one lives with isn't who they once were/pretended to be, along with those odd,identity-shattering first moments of detachment and distancing when things finally fall apart. I wish that I enjoyed the rest of the stories in the collection as much as the first. "This is the Ice Age" had some nifty aspects, particularly the premise of "quantum ice" (I'm not sure if that's unique to this story or actually mentioned elsewhere, but it's cool), though I had a difficult time, as in many of the other stories, connecting with the characters in any significant way. As always, that may just be my own reading quirks at work. I think it is worth picking up if you are a serious connoisseur of Weird Fiction.
December 7, 2011
I picked up this book at Polaris, and have to say I was pleasantly surprised by some of the stories in this book. I particularly enjoyed his take on zombies facing off against a Lovecraftian horror.
That having been said I was saddened by how distinctly underwhelmed I felt upon finishing it.
I can't help but wonder if perhaps something was lost in translation from Lalumiere's native french?
I can only describe the book as a whole thus:
It feels like watching an entire season of "The Outer Limits", but you've missed the first and last ten minutes of each episode and the entire thing has been translated to french and back, so you may or may not actually be hearing the proper dialogue.
The author has some very wonderful ideas, and some very lovely concepts but it feels like there's so much missing that there's just no point.
That having been said I was saddened by how distinctly underwhelmed I felt upon finishing it.
I can't help but wonder if perhaps something was lost in translation from Lalumiere's native french?
I can only describe the book as a whole thus:
It feels like watching an entire season of "The Outer Limits", but you've missed the first and last ten minutes of each episode and the entire thing has been translated to french and back, so you may or may not actually be hearing the proper dialogue.
The author has some very wonderful ideas, and some very lovely concepts but it feels like there's so much missing that there's just no point.
July 23, 2014
A story by story discussion with the first lines (in two cases the first "relevant" lines) included; superb collection
The Object of Worship
The god settles on the table. Rose tears a piece from her toast, slathers a heap of cream cheese on the ear-sized morsel, and lays it next to the god. It consumes the tribute.
The first story and the one that names the collection starts the novel with a bang introducing a world in which gods are "real", physical and everywhere, demand worship while giving life and children, men are missing, and two young women live together in harmony with their house "god" until an "atheist" woman enters their life. A very powerful ending crowns a story that establishes the tone of the collection.(A+)
The Ethical Treatment of Meat
Raymond and George had never thought much about religion. They’d tried going to services at their local church shortly after adopting the child—it seemed like the right thing to do—but the preacher said children weren’t allowed. No animals of any kind. Only people.
The first of two stories set in a zombie dominated world, where humans are "meat animals" kept for their brains on which the zombies feed and for their body parts that are used as furniture and decoration. Raymond and George seem your next door gay couple, though of course as with all the "people" here, they are not human. Just disturbing and weird, the story was on the edge of my tolerance for such and *is definitely* not for everyone. (A)
Hochelaga and Sons
...Because I can’t become intangible and walk through it. Because I can’t teleport at will. Because I can’t even punch holes in it with my bare fists.
A superhero story with a twist; when a Montreal native of Jewish origins is captured and used as lab-experiment by the Nazis, he somehow gets superpowers and later becomes Hochelaga the superhero of Montreal. However of his twin sons Gordon (the narrator) and Bernard, only the later inherits his father's abilities only to refuse to use them because they are "treyf", unclean. However when the Hegemony of Hate declares war against humanity and sends powerful "super-terrorists" against the superheroes, Bernard faces a big dilemma since his faith talks also about "Pikuach Nefesh", the duty to save lives...
This story is both action filled and philosophical and another highlight of the collection (A+)
The Sea, at Bari
In Bari, the pizza marinara was more delicious than in Rome.
After the above tranquil opening line, we are introduced to the world of Mario a Canadian of Italian origins whose fifth birthday spent with his grandparents in Bari transformed his life. On his 30th birthday he goes back to try and get back what he had lost then. This story is one of my three top favorites in a superb collection and an A++.
The Darkness at the Heart of the World
As the boy Coro emerges from the Godpool, he sees the tears on his mother’s face.
This story starts conventionally with a boy who has a bad leg that the healing waters of the Godpool cannot cure. He sees the mighty flying angels that battle the demons every night and he wants to become one of them and soar in the sky; of course reality turns out quite differently...
This story was one of my least favorite because it did not balance well and I thought it less well formed than the rest (B).
Spiderkid
All the spiders in my apartment are araneomorphs, the most common type of spider. The second most common suborder consists of mygalomorphs—hairy, often large species, such as tarantulas. Mesothelae, the oldest suborder of spiders still extant, are quite rare; of the estimated hundred thousand or so species of spiders, fewer than one hundred belong to this primitive family, and they’re found almost exclusively in Asia. I’ve only ever seen pictures.
One of the two stories available online, go and read it!. Weird, disturbing and very good (A).
Njàbò
Njàbò, my only child, my daughter, walks with me. She is as old as the forest, while I was born but three and a half decades ago.
The second story that's available online and one of my three top stories of the collection, again, go and read it! (A++)
A Place Where Nothing Ever Happens
The first time Kyle received one of those phone calls, he was getting ready for a date.
This is another story that could have been better with a more balanced approach. Lucifer makes a deal with a phone company and allows all denizens of Hell to call their loved ones. Kyle gets a gorgeous and intelligent girlfriend; the two story-lines just do not mesh well and the final twist is visible from a mile (A-).
A Visit to the Optometrist
When a pigeon chewed out Basil Fesper’s right eye while he was taking a nap in his lawn chair, he finally admitted that it was time to make an appointment with the optometrist.
The second and better zombie story; still disturbing but less so than the first, it involves the same characters from the first except that now the married couple next door to Raymond and George are protagonists. A tie-in also with the "Darkness" story above, I liked this one more than "The Ethical Treatment of Meat" but that one has an indubitable power of its own, however shocking it was (A).
Roman Predator’s Chimeric Odyssey
Already, dusk encroaches on daylight, and Luna, lushly green, hangs in the sky, its fullness announcing the hunt.
Another of the stories that did not mesh well for me; werewolves and other animal/human combination in a post apocalyptic world and a mysterious alien which i did not truly get (B).
Destroyer of Worlds
...There was a deliberateness, a weight, to her gait. She was walking to her death.
The third top favorite and A++ story for me, this one is related to a comic series that somehow becomes "real" in the Multiverse; very powerful.
This Is the Ice Age
Distorted cars litter the bridge, quantum ice fractalling outward from their engines, from the circuits of their dashboards. The ice has burst from their chassis, creating random new configurations of ice, technology, and anatomy.
A post-apocalyptic story when all electronic powered devices turned to ice and killed lots of people, follows two teen survivors in Montreal, while the "geek" brother of the boy starts a cult; this story is extremely powerful almost to the end but then it peters out in an unconvincing ending which takes away a little from it (A+).
All in all "Objects of Worship" (A+) is a great collection and I strongly recommend it for every lover of literate speculative fiction.
The Object of Worship
The god settles on the table. Rose tears a piece from her toast, slathers a heap of cream cheese on the ear-sized morsel, and lays it next to the god. It consumes the tribute.
The first story and the one that names the collection starts the novel with a bang introducing a world in which gods are "real", physical and everywhere, demand worship while giving life and children, men are missing, and two young women live together in harmony with their house "god" until an "atheist" woman enters their life. A very powerful ending crowns a story that establishes the tone of the collection.(A+)
The Ethical Treatment of Meat
Raymond and George had never thought much about religion. They’d tried going to services at their local church shortly after adopting the child—it seemed like the right thing to do—but the preacher said children weren’t allowed. No animals of any kind. Only people.
The first of two stories set in a zombie dominated world, where humans are "meat animals" kept for their brains on which the zombies feed and for their body parts that are used as furniture and decoration. Raymond and George seem your next door gay couple, though of course as with all the "people" here, they are not human. Just disturbing and weird, the story was on the edge of my tolerance for such and *is definitely* not for everyone. (A)
Hochelaga and Sons
...Because I can’t become intangible and walk through it. Because I can’t teleport at will. Because I can’t even punch holes in it with my bare fists.
A superhero story with a twist; when a Montreal native of Jewish origins is captured and used as lab-experiment by the Nazis, he somehow gets superpowers and later becomes Hochelaga the superhero of Montreal. However of his twin sons Gordon (the narrator) and Bernard, only the later inherits his father's abilities only to refuse to use them because they are "treyf", unclean. However when the Hegemony of Hate declares war against humanity and sends powerful "super-terrorists" against the superheroes, Bernard faces a big dilemma since his faith talks also about "Pikuach Nefesh", the duty to save lives...
This story is both action filled and philosophical and another highlight of the collection (A+)
The Sea, at Bari
In Bari, the pizza marinara was more delicious than in Rome.
After the above tranquil opening line, we are introduced to the world of Mario a Canadian of Italian origins whose fifth birthday spent with his grandparents in Bari transformed his life. On his 30th birthday he goes back to try and get back what he had lost then. This story is one of my three top favorites in a superb collection and an A++.
The Darkness at the Heart of the World
As the boy Coro emerges from the Godpool, he sees the tears on his mother’s face.
This story starts conventionally with a boy who has a bad leg that the healing waters of the Godpool cannot cure. He sees the mighty flying angels that battle the demons every night and he wants to become one of them and soar in the sky; of course reality turns out quite differently...
This story was one of my least favorite because it did not balance well and I thought it less well formed than the rest (B).
Spiderkid
All the spiders in my apartment are araneomorphs, the most common type of spider. The second most common suborder consists of mygalomorphs—hairy, often large species, such as tarantulas. Mesothelae, the oldest suborder of spiders still extant, are quite rare; of the estimated hundred thousand or so species of spiders, fewer than one hundred belong to this primitive family, and they’re found almost exclusively in Asia. I’ve only ever seen pictures.
One of the two stories available online, go and read it!. Weird, disturbing and very good (A).
Njàbò
Njàbò, my only child, my daughter, walks with me. She is as old as the forest, while I was born but three and a half decades ago.
The second story that's available online and one of my three top stories of the collection, again, go and read it! (A++)
A Place Where Nothing Ever Happens
The first time Kyle received one of those phone calls, he was getting ready for a date.
This is another story that could have been better with a more balanced approach. Lucifer makes a deal with a phone company and allows all denizens of Hell to call their loved ones. Kyle gets a gorgeous and intelligent girlfriend; the two story-lines just do not mesh well and the final twist is visible from a mile (A-).
A Visit to the Optometrist
When a pigeon chewed out Basil Fesper’s right eye while he was taking a nap in his lawn chair, he finally admitted that it was time to make an appointment with the optometrist.
The second and better zombie story; still disturbing but less so than the first, it involves the same characters from the first except that now the married couple next door to Raymond and George are protagonists. A tie-in also with the "Darkness" story above, I liked this one more than "The Ethical Treatment of Meat" but that one has an indubitable power of its own, however shocking it was (A).
Roman Predator’s Chimeric Odyssey
Already, dusk encroaches on daylight, and Luna, lushly green, hangs in the sky, its fullness announcing the hunt.
Another of the stories that did not mesh well for me; werewolves and other animal/human combination in a post apocalyptic world and a mysterious alien which i did not truly get (B).
Destroyer of Worlds
...There was a deliberateness, a weight, to her gait. She was walking to her death.
The third top favorite and A++ story for me, this one is related to a comic series that somehow becomes "real" in the Multiverse; very powerful.
This Is the Ice Age
Distorted cars litter the bridge, quantum ice fractalling outward from their engines, from the circuits of their dashboards. The ice has burst from their chassis, creating random new configurations of ice, technology, and anatomy.
A post-apocalyptic story when all electronic powered devices turned to ice and killed lots of people, follows two teen survivors in Montreal, while the "geek" brother of the boy starts a cult; this story is extremely powerful almost to the end but then it peters out in an unconvincing ending which takes away a little from it (A+).
All in all "Objects of Worship" (A+) is a great collection and I strongly recommend it for every lover of literate speculative fiction.
April 26, 2022
The first two short stories were so good that I thought I had found my new favourite author. Unfortunately, it was downhill from there. And the last few stories were so awful that they detracted from the book as a whole. Why the sudden sexualization in the last few stories? And why do two of the stories include sexual descriptions of teenaged girls? I say this in every review lately: I’m tired.
Objects of Worship: 5 (Truly incredible and fascinating).
The Ethical Treatment of Meat: 5 (Disturbingly brilliant).
Hochelaga and Sons: 4
The Sea, at Bari: 4
The Darkness at the Heart of the World: 2
Spiderkid: 2
Njabo: 3
A Place where Nothing Ever Happens: 1 (The worst of them all. Bland story overridden by unnecessary lewd sex scenes).
A Visit to the Optometrist: 1 (It cheapened the integrity of the book to tie two previous stories together).
Roman Predator’s Chimeric Odyssey: 1 (Includes a sexualized description of a 13-year-old girl’s body).
Destroyer of Worlds: 1 (Another description of a girl’s body in excessive detail).
This is the Ice Age: 1
Objects of Worship: 5 (Truly incredible and fascinating).
The Ethical Treatment of Meat: 5 (Disturbingly brilliant).
Hochelaga and Sons: 4
The Sea, at Bari: 4
The Darkness at the Heart of the World: 2
Spiderkid: 2
Njabo: 3
A Place where Nothing Ever Happens: 1 (The worst of them all. Bland story overridden by unnecessary lewd sex scenes).
A Visit to the Optometrist: 1 (It cheapened the integrity of the book to tie two previous stories together).
Roman Predator’s Chimeric Odyssey: 1 (Includes a sexualized description of a 13-year-old girl’s body).
Destroyer of Worlds: 1 (Another description of a girl’s body in excessive detail).
This is the Ice Age: 1
September 28, 2018
I’ll have to lean away from James Morrow’s introduction, full of mad praise, and say that despite Lalumiere’s clear writing abilities as regards his style, this one still ends up a mixed bag of treats. Although, to be fair, the oscillations are not drastic – there is nothing truly terrible here, the scale just swings from “awesome” to “meh” way too much. Lalumiere tends either to eschew the traditional 3/5 act structure, or to throw ideas and sketches out as whole stories – this can sometimes work, but far more often it leaves the reader hanging, wanting something more, and some of the more traditional stories in the collection in fact end up being the best. By “traditional”, of course, I am referring merely to the story structure, none of these tales are quite “sane”, and they deal with the titular “objects of worship” in a number of delightfully deranged ways – my particular favorites being, of course, the tasty pair of zombie tales.
October 11, 2020
I read the first two stories ages ago and stopped and only went through the other ones in the last few days and I found that the last ten weren't quite on par, they were good but not on the same level as the first two.
September 18, 2019
I can't believe I've owned this book for five years and never read it before now. Painful, beautiful, visceral, terrifying, and utterly breathtaking.
October 23, 2020
Another kick-ass collection. Every single story is enthralling, and more than one set me back on my haunches after reading it. You like dark fiction and unexpected endings? Read this.
June 23, 2011
An ecclectic mix of short stories that all focus around things that people worship/adore etc.
I have to admit that my absolute two favorite stories in this collection were both the zombie stories; The Ethical Treatment of Meat and A Trip to the Optomitrist. I actually ended up reading the first one out loud to my other half and had a fantastic giggle over it (though in retrospec I'm not sure that was the author's aim).
This was the first I'd ever heard/read anything by Claude Lalumière, but I really enjoyed seeing that he is an exceptionally flexible author who has no fears about treading into territory that could cause people to avoid his work. I would certainly not hesitate to pick up any other books by this author.
Did I love every story in the collection? Certainly not all of them, but overall there were very few that left me feeling completely blah about them. Some had me going 'huh?' and having to do a re-read to see what I'd missed, but that was only one or two of them.
Would I recommend the collection? Yes I would. Especially to really open minded people looking for something completely different to read.
I have to admit that my absolute two favorite stories in this collection were both the zombie stories; The Ethical Treatment of Meat and A Trip to the Optomitrist. I actually ended up reading the first one out loud to my other half and had a fantastic giggle over it (though in retrospec I'm not sure that was the author's aim).
This was the first I'd ever heard/read anything by Claude Lalumière, but I really enjoyed seeing that he is an exceptionally flexible author who has no fears about treading into territory that could cause people to avoid his work. I would certainly not hesitate to pick up any other books by this author.
Did I love every story in the collection? Certainly not all of them, but overall there were very few that left me feeling completely blah about them. Some had me going 'huh?' and having to do a re-read to see what I'd missed, but that was only one or two of them.
Would I recommend the collection? Yes I would. Especially to really open minded people looking for something completely different to read.
March 7, 2013
I found this short story collection quite wonderful.
A lot of people have commented on the derivative nature of some of the short stories. I can't comment as I haven't read the original novels that those short stories were inspired by.
Despite being a fan of superheroes and comics I found that the weakest stories in the collection were the ones based on superheroes. This is quite odd considering almost all of the other stories have this sort of Heavy Metal/Metal Hurlant vibe to them, especially with the reoccuring theme in some of the short stories. I would love to see some of these stories adapted to the graphic novel medium where I think a lot of them that others have cited as weak (such as "Roman Predator's Chimeric Odyssey") would really shine.
My only complaint which isn't a negative at all is that I wish the titular story was longer or a stand alone novel. I would've loved to have experienced more of that world.
Objects of Worship as it stands is a really solid collection of short stories.
A lot of people have commented on the derivative nature of some of the short stories. I can't comment as I haven't read the original novels that those short stories were inspired by.
Despite being a fan of superheroes and comics I found that the weakest stories in the collection were the ones based on superheroes. This is quite odd considering almost all of the other stories have this sort of Heavy Metal/Metal Hurlant vibe to them, especially with the reoccuring theme in some of the short stories. I would love to see some of these stories adapted to the graphic novel medium where I think a lot of them that others have cited as weak (such as "Roman Predator's Chimeric Odyssey") would really shine.
My only complaint which isn't a negative at all is that I wish the titular story was longer or a stand alone novel. I would've loved to have experienced more of that world.
Objects of Worship as it stands is a really solid collection of short stories.
May 16, 2016
Claude Lalumiere writes some of the most bizarre and enormously creative fiction I have ever read. His prose draws you in with its fluidity and delicacy, and then hits you with something particularly odd, making it hard to tear yourself away. What is going on with this weird zombie family? How did ice destroy all the electronics in the world? Bio-developed megafauna? LaLumiere's stories are not full of answers, but they raise many interesting questions about the world, painting a picture of how things could be if only...
I also have to praise him for including diverse types of relationships as totally normal. In one story, there are multiple adults who are in loving relationships with one another who are raising children together. The story is not about this relationship choice, and it was refreshing to see something so far beyond the nuclear family option be portrayed as an everyday occurrence.
I also have to praise him for including diverse types of relationships as totally normal. In one story, there are multiple adults who are in loving relationships with one another who are raising children together. The story is not about this relationship choice, and it was refreshing to see something so far beyond the nuclear family option be portrayed as an everyday occurrence.
May 16, 2013
A fine collection of short fantasy/horror fiction, with two particularly outstanding stories: the title yarn, and "The Ethical Treatment of Meat" (the latter is both brilliant and outlandishly ghastly). The range of subject matter, and the originality of ideas and images in these stories is very, very exceptional; even a Dunsany hommage ("The Darkness at the Heart of the World") is fresh and unformulaic. "Destroyer of Worlds" is almost as ingenious, but moves too quickly to sustain such a wealth of ideas; possibly the original, lengthier version (mentioned by the author in his notes) was superior, and I hope he resurrects it. A few stories don't work, but all are at least unusual and even the weakest have fine moments. Strongly recommended.
May 19, 2016
Like any collection of short stories, this is something of a mixed bag. It's at its best when it's seriously engaging with religious ideas -- by far the best story is "Hochelaga and Sons," a superhero tale that ponders the tension between purity and mercy in the Jewish tradition. The title story, which is something of an antitheist manifesto, is the second best, and is undeniably visceral and thought-provoking.
Less successful are the experiments in high fantasy, which (as is frequently the case in the genre) tend to get so hung up on their own mythologies that they nearly forget to include a human element at all. Far too often the characters serve the world-building, instead of the other way around.
Less successful are the experiments in high fantasy, which (as is frequently the case in the genre) tend to get so hung up on their own mythologies that they nearly forget to include a human element at all. Far too often the characters serve the world-building, instead of the other way around.
November 28, 2014
I had high expectations of this short story collection, coming from my favourite publisher of dark fiction. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment.
Many of the stories were interesting ideas, but that's all they were. Glimpses of something that could have been larger or more involved, but wasn't. They all felt unfinished, in a way that left me extremely unsatisfied. Nothing felt very fleshed out.
Because I hadn't read any of the works that the author was responding to with his stories, that aspect was entirely lost on me. Perhaps someone who has read them would find this book more enjoyable.
Many of the stories were interesting ideas, but that's all they were. Glimpses of something that could have been larger or more involved, but wasn't. They all felt unfinished, in a way that left me extremely unsatisfied. Nothing felt very fleshed out.
Because I hadn't read any of the works that the author was responding to with his stories, that aspect was entirely lost on me. Perhaps someone who has read them would find this book more enjoyable.
August 9, 2012
I was intrigued by the cover while looking through indigo.ca's bargain section, read the blurb and really liked the idea. My boyfriend went to get me birthday gifts and this was an early one I got :D
This book is so different. I really loved all the short stories but the zombie ones were my favourite :) I like a lot of the absurd things that happen, that seem almost like they could happen with how he writes them.
This book is so different. I really loved all the short stories but the zombie ones were my favourite :) I like a lot of the absurd things that happen, that seem almost like they could happen with how he writes them.
March 21, 2012
Lalumière's characters, their lives, their identities are as difficult to pin down and categorize as the stories themselves. I read these at different times over the last few months, and every one was a treat. This is original, beautiful, thoughtful, emotional stuff -- a wonderful addition to any short-fiction-lover's library.
January 15, 2012
Knowing fuck all about golden age comics a lot of this probably sailed over my head, in fact it's only the introduction and story notes (story notes!) that clued me in to the fact that so many of these stories are homages to Ditko, Kirby, et. al.
Still I enjoyed this collection of sometimes weird, sometimes scary, sometimes erotic, stories immensely.
Still I enjoyed this collection of sometimes weird, sometimes scary, sometimes erotic, stories immensely.
May 13, 2012
It's difficult to find books that are both challenging in concept and execution. I was hoping this would cover at at least some of that territory but in general the stories are neither exceptionally original nor particularly well-written. Not a bad collection, mind you, but a strong reminder (for me) of why I read so little genre fiction now. Two and half stars, If I had the option.
May 27, 2012
Usually I'm not a fan of short story collections as I like to become immersed in a work and hate being pulled out of it after a few pages. However, Objects of Worship was a fantastic collection. Each story has a thread that connects it to the next and the themes about gods and worship resonates well.
May 5, 2011
Une voix unique pleine de fantasie, d'imagination et sous les histoires où se mêlent mythes et superhéros, de la compassion!
March 18, 2016
Weird :)
My favorites were the zombie stories (The Ethical Treatment of Meat & A Visit to the Optometrist), which were hysterically funny.
My favorites were the zombie stories (The Ethical Treatment of Meat & A Visit to the Optometrist), which were hysterically funny.
April 4, 2012
Clever and Quirky, my first bizzaro book of short stories that I really enjoyed.
May 23, 2015
Awful. Just ... awful.
August 10, 2012
too weird for me I guess
October 30, 2012
Personally I didn't find these stories overly appealing or original.
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