Prof. Dr. Matthias Hurst presents at an academic conference on fantasy literature held in the Phantastische Bibliothek (Fantastic Library) in Wetzlar

Prof. Dr. Matthias Hurst attended the conference "Beyond Elvish. Constructed Languages in Fantastic Worlds," the annual symposium of the German Inklings Society (Inklings-Gesellschaft für Literatur und Ästhetik e.V.), co-organized with the 41st Wetzlarer Tage der Phantastik (Wetzlar Days of Fantasy). The conference took place from September 12 - 14, 2025 in the Phantastische Bibliothek (Fantastic Library) in Wetzlar, which holds one of the largest collections of fantastic literature in the world.

The conference explored the elements, functions, and aesthetics of constructed languages (conlangs) in works like J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, George R. R. Martin's The Song of Ice and Fire, Howard P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, as well as the Klingon language in Star Trek and the Na`vi language in the Avatar films.

Hurst's presentation, "Sprachspiele. Risiken und Nebenwirkungen sprachlicher Kommunikation" ("Language Games. Risks and side effects of linguistic communication"), was dedicated to the novel Babel-17 (1966) by Samuel R. Delany and the film Arrival (2016), directed by Denis Villeneuve. The presentation highlighted narrative and structural elements reflecting the idea and use of constructed languages in both novel and film. One focus was on the contested principle of linguistic relativity and linguistic determinism as presented by the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, and how language informs thinking, perception, and eventually a specific world view.

Post Date: 09-22-2025