One exception to the soulless rule appears in the story "Lucy's Place," in which a drug overdose leads the narrator to hell (Lucy's Place, get it?). At least the guy's soul is implied, even if we see no real evidence of it. The story itself, though, is about the gimmick, not really about the soul.

Some of the pieces in the book feel like they might make good stories if they are fleshed out with scenes and dialogue. "Hero," for example, is about Mervin, a man who is often in the right place at the right time - to rescue a baby from a burning building, to stop a bank robbery, etc. But it's a little too much of a coincidence, the story suggests, and that's a complexity in Mervin's character that would be worth exploring. Why does he do what he does? Does he speak to anyone? And do his actions lead him into conflict? Is there risk that he'll be caught? And what would happen if he is? What's at stake? If these questions were explored, this might be an interesting fiction.

What's at stake? What do the characters want? And what stands in the way? For most of the stories in the book, the reader is left to guess what the characters want and the only thing that stands in the way is the next drink or the next hit of ecstasy. This is a recipe for leaving readers unsatisfied.

Finally, I cannot avoid commenting on the book's sloppy copy-editing. Even the unobservant will see the numerous errors in spelling and punctuation, and a stickler will be appalled.

In short, this book isn't for everyone. But if you like in-your-face fiction that dwells in the seamier parts of contemporary society, and if you are content with glimpses into that society, as if in snapshots, rather than the more experiential presentation of traditional fiction, then this book is something you may enjoy.