Edward Winston Bear

Edward Winston Bear's favorite authors on Smashwords

Smashwords book reviews by Edward Winston Bear

  • The Signature of God (Volume One) on May 16, 2013

    Stories end, but the worlds in which they live don't, and John has provided us with an intriguing tale of the diverse ways humanity could react to PROOF of a messiah. Again, there are those who listen, those who don't bother, and those who stop their ears and scream "lalala I can't hear you." Humanity keeps going, with all the vices and virtues intact, while trying to survive the biggest upheaval in all recorded history. This was a fun read, and well worth the time I took to read it.
  • The Signature of God (Volume Two) on May 16, 2013

    Please see my review for Part One. I stand by those words. This is an excellent book. All of it.
  • The Second Coming on May 16, 2013

    In this book John Dalmas explores a very simple question: In the two thousand years since Joshua bar Joseph of Nazareth taught among us, what would happen if the world needed another Great Teacher? This is not your usual science fiction premise, but in a genre which embraces everything from faster-than-light travel to bioengineering, it is a completely legitimate story premise, and Dalmas proceeds not merely to run, but to dance with it. By that I mean that all of the questions which the premise question brings up find their way into the story. What sort of messiah might we need? What would he teach? What sort of followers would he gather? Who would listen? Who would neglect to listen? Who would stop up their ears and shout "La la la I can't hear you!"? Have the Great Questions changed? Have the answers to them done likewise? All of the above and more show up in a story filled with likeable (and despisable) people, action both spiritual and physical, stories, parables, some brief lectures, which are, after all, part of what any teacher would do, and jokes, including one so funny that I almost fell out of bed laughing. This is not apocalyptic fiction, but solid food for the mind and spirit, with some of the most profound issues of philosophy explored in the course of a marvelously entertaining story. When I finished this book (at two in the morning!), I found my mind asking the oldest of all humanity's questions: "OK, what happens NEXT?" A friend of mine wrote the above nine years ago, and tells me he stands by those words. (quoted with permission) The happy news is that the sequel IS available here at smashwords, and I grabbed it eagerly the moment I found out it was available.
  • Dancing for Daddy on Oct. 27, 2020

    This is a wonderful, loving tale of romance and enduring love. The characterizations are wonderful and the story well told. I already know I'm going to reread it eventually.
  • Revenge is Best Served on a Warm, Naked Body on June 23, 2021

    I'm a very long-time fan of Robert Lubrican, and have read a large percentage of his stories with interest and fun. His characters are always interesting and the stories well-managed, both as written and the content being totally worth reading. This one was no exception. I had to laugh and admire the revenge, and that alone made the whole thing worth my time.