Yikes. These stories are dated, and not that horrific. I had high expectations for 'Without You' and was really kind of disappointed.

Oh. My. God. I've said this about one other book, and this one qualifies also: I think I need a Penicillin shot.

I am obviously not the typical target audience for this collection of stories, or, maybe I am. Or need to be. But I am pretty sure Mr. James didn't have the most tight-azzed, white-bred old woman who is the nanny of two little boys, watches Little Women of L.A., crafts, quilts and who finds a good nap really really exciting as someone who would take the time to read these stories let alone speak about them without going full-on Tipper Gore.

Stick with me till the end of this, though. I may surprise you.

Many of these stories were pornographic not only in a sexual sense, but there was a pornography of violence too. Most times when I read anything, I see myself in the stories, the characters or the situations. I was so far removed from this work, I felt very uncomfortable and voyeuristic. I wanted to turn away but was drawn back time and time again to worlds and people that scared the sh*t out of me.

Mr. James dragged me places I didn't want to go. He showed me things I didn't want to see. He fed my curiosity about lives I have never lived and hopefully will never live. He introduced me to the Edge People. Those among us that take every moment they stay breathing to that edge -- that line -- and cross it.

I've never held to the old adage, "write what you know." I think that's pretty crap honestly. How could Bradbury write about Mars? How could L. Frank Baum write about OZ? How did J.K. Rowling write about Hogwarts? It's called imagination. Fiction writers must have an imagination.

But having said that, this book felt very personal to me. I felt like he bled on this work. And I very much believe that Mr. James was writing what he knew and weaving the fiction throughout. He gave us a look into what he's experienced, what he's witnessed. The cast of characters that has come in and out of his life are on these pages in some form. I believe that. Okay, minus maybe the supernatural stuff, and even then, I'm not so sure he didn't have a power lunch with Satan and cut a deal.

The writing is powerful. The characters sad and tragic. I felt disgust, pity, fear, anger, curiosity, shock -- page after page pulled these emotions from me and that's what good writing does. It challenges you and it makes you think. About life, death, love, hatred, indifference and man's inhumanity to man.

I applaud Mr. James's bravery to not self-censor the pieces. It would have been really easy to leave scenes out because what would his grandma say? Or the people in his life that he might want to keep separated from this side of him and whose thoughts and opinions mean something to him for fear they wouldn't approve.

He would not have been true to the atmosphere of the stories had he changed a thing. It would not have been honest writing. He had to write what he did to make them as powerful as they were. I would love to hear him speak to the inspiration of these works. The process he went through to get them down on the page. Did he struggle putting himself out there?

Mr. James did his job as a writer -- he took me by the hand and tilted my world.

Now I am going to crawl into the fetal position and take a nap. ( )