A New WorldA New World
J Hirtle The Last Storyteller
Jim Hirtle chats with physicist and fantasy author Eric Smith about his 300,000‑word trilogy, thoughtful romance, and building a hidden world where magic is treated as science. The conversation also touches on indie publishing, editing struggles, and grassroots ways to share stories with readers.
37:42•15 May 2026
Epic Fantasy, Thoughtful Romance and Indie Grit with Eric Smith
Episode Overview
- A single epic story was written first, then divided into three books to keep the structure tight and the character arcs consistent.
- Dylan and Abby’s relationship is framed as a thoughtful romance that asks hard questions about love, art, duty and justice.
- Eric’s physics background shapes a world where "magic" is treated as science, influencing how the hidden society thinks and behaves.
- Years of drafts, a long pause, and then a return with fresh eyes show that stepping away can help solve big story problems.
- Indie publishing demands learning editing, covers and grassroots promotion, with honest feedback and community support being crucial.
“I would say that it's a romance, but it's a thoughtful romance. It's a romance that wants to make you think and wrestle with questions and not just feel.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? For Jim Hirtle, part of the answer is storytelling, and here he sits down with indie fantasy author Eric Smith (who writes as E.A. Smith on Amazon) to talk about building an entire universe, word by word. Eric shares how his trilogy, centred on Dylan Knight and Abigail Martin, grew from a single massive manuscript into three books.
Dylan is dragged from modern life into a hidden ancient society that treats its "magic" as strict science, while Abby flees that same culture to chase artistic freedom. Between them, you get questions about love, duty, injustice and art rather than just another boy‑meets‑girl plot. As Eric sums it up: "I would say that it's a romance, but it's a thoughtful romance.
It's a romance that wants to make you think and wrestle with questions and not just feel." You’ll hear how a physicist who loves Tolkien balances logic with epic fantasy, and what it took to wrestle a 300,000‑word story into shape over more than a decade. Eric talks candidly about getting stuck on a huge trial chapter, putting the book away for nine years, then returning with more maturity and a fresh approach.
The chat also gets very practical for anyone dreaming of writing: indie versus traditional publishing, the blessing of a brutally honest spouse‑editor, trimming adverbs, and the painful but necessary learning curve of promotion on a tight budget. Jim adds his own hard‑won tips on reviews, book fairs, and why writers should talk about their stories everywhere they go.
If you’re an aspiring author, a fantasy fan, or someone who loves long-haul creative projects, this conversation might have you asking yourself: what story have you been quietly carrying for years, and what would it take to finally let it out?
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