Professors, students, and fans of science fiction and fantasy gathered at the Provo Marriott Hotel to attend the annual Life, the Universe, and Everything writing conference.
PROVO, Utah (Feb. 15, 2020)—Every February, the Life, the Universe, and Everything (LTUE) writing conference happens right here in Provo. LTUE was first held in 1976 and is focused on science fiction and fantasy writing. People come from all over the country to hear the latest in academics, receive writing tips, and discuss their favorite films and novels.
Many BYU students and faculty enjoy participating in the conference. This year, Professor Alan Manning (Linguistics), senior Rachael Witt (English), and other students and alumni participated as lecturers for the conference.
Manning gave his lecture on his research with Nicole Amare, a professor at the University of Southern Alabama. Together, they have analyzed the influence Latter-day Saint doctrines have on the plot lines of novels written by Latter-day Saint sci-fi/fantasy authors.
Of his experience, Manning stated, “This is my second year presenting at LTUE, and it has been a great experience both times. I think that LTUE serves a valuable function for writers, artists, and other fantasy/sci-fi content creators in the region: to get together and talk about their work and the theories behind what they do. What I like best about LTUE is the writer/creator focus, even though it has plenty to offer people who just to read, watch, or play with fantasy/sci-fi as fans.”
BYU senior Rachael Witt presented on her senior capstone project. She focused on the similarities between the concept of “free will” as depicted in both the 2016 film Arrival and Robert Wise’s 1951 science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Witt noted, “[I like LTUE because] it brings people together. Sometimes we think writers just stay at home at a desk all day. . . . When you go to these conferences, you realize that writers are still people. They laugh, they joke, and, above all, they are some of your biggest unknown cheerleaders. They really want you to succeed and to go out and follow your passion! Plus, it takes more than one person at a computer to write a book, and I feel like writing conferences really show that.”
Students receive discounted access to the panels at LTUE, and many BYU students took advantage of that this year. Sarah Riley, a senior majoring in English, attended the conference and commented, “I loved the atmosphere of LTUE. It was busy, but it was also fun and relaxing because everyone there wanted to be there. The whole event was people with open minds coming to share with and learn from others and celebrate the things they love.”
—Heather Bergeson (English ’21)