The Language of Fear: Stories

by Del James

Book Overview

With an introduction by W. Axl Rose Del James unleashes an extraordinary collection of snapshots from hell--our hell. Here are spine-chilling stories of everyday people, all caught up in terrible urges--sex and obsession, addiction and violence--all sharing the universal language of fear. . . . A heavy-metal dreamer locked in a savage war with his television set. An artist seduced by a vampire. Two boys trapped by an urban legend come to life--or...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440217121
• ISBN13: 9780440217121
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Dell
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

My Favorite Book Ever!

Ok, so I am a HUGE Guns N' Roses fan. Even if I wasn't The Language of Fear would be my favorite book ever! I have heard this book compared to Clive Barker or H.P. Lovecraft. For me, Lovecraft is to sci/fi and Barker relies on too much gore. Del James captured everything that it was like to be a teenager in the late 80's early 90's. This book was before the grunge scene took completely over. It is about the seamy side of life. The ultimate fear, as this book reveals, is real life. Things like addiction, sex, love, broken homes, damning relationships, pornography, drugs, alchohol, prostitution,loss of innocence, it is all hear along with Rock N' Roll of course. In The Language of Fear we learn what we've always known, that these things ar what we are truly afraid of. While other books, and authors rely on gore, or boogy men that we know do not exist, Del James plays on our real life fears. The first half of The Language of Fear is the Appetite For Destruction brought to life with characters. The second half is Use Your Illusion brought to life. For those who are to young to remember, this was life as we knew it in the late 80's early 90's. While we are currently sliding into poverty, and our future is once again less than certain, by the time this president leaves office, The Language of Fear could once again be our lives. If you notice I did not mention Without You thus far. I won't. I would have bought the book without it. Besides if you are that big of a Guns N' Roses fan you should simply buy the book and find out how the story ends. For the reviews that accused this book of being juvenile, I would say this: This is the Language we all once spoke appreciate the book if nothing else as a time capsule. (...)

I know where you can find it!!

Go to ebay...The book is currently on ebay. Hope this helps 8-)

Mind Blowing

I got this book because it has the story that the Guns N' Roses song "November Rain" is based upon but I ended up reading the whole thing several times over.To be honest,Del James puts a nail in the coffin of all the traditional boring horror books.I only wish I still had a copy of this book.It does suprise me that though so mant people seem to want this book that it's so hard to get.I was disappointed by the fact that on the last page it said he had a full length novel coming out.I've never seen it and would give anything to read it.

Urban fear at its finest

Del James has captuered the dark side of the human spirit... a VERY dark side. Its seen in 15 short stories that go from a porn theater to a high school; from a rock & roll star's mansion to the an illegal deathmatch arena:from a tatto saloon to the back alleys of what could be any major city. The vivid descriptions can only make you cringe; there are characters you will symapthize with... others you will come to loath. But all the stories have one thing in common: fear. As HP Lovecraft put it "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear". Its this emotion that will keep you from putting this book down.

Amazingly well-done. Horror at its best.

The Language of Fear is one of the most terrifying books that you may ever come across. From "Without You," (the inspiration for Guns N Roses video for "November Rain") to "A Tale of Two Heroines," James explores his own vision of the modern world and its horror. The writing is solid, though a couple of stories feel a bit forced. There is one warning with this, you may want to sleep with the light on after reading it. Avoid this work if you are easily frightened.