Laura Op de Beke

Academic interests

My research is part of a larger interdisciplinary project called Lifetimes: a Natural History of the Present. My contribution looks at what I call "Anthropocene temporalities" in science fiction video games. Science fiction betrays an enduring fascination for deep time: stories of the rise and fall of civilizations, species histories, cosmic dramas etc. At the same time, video games, as interactive, procedural objects of culture enable different ways of story-telling, some of which are auspiciously favorable to engaging with these topics. My research sits at this productive junction, and asks what kinds of experiences science fiction video games generate that are tapping into the cultural and political insecurities and opportunities characterizing the Anthropocene. 

At UiO I also run a monthly environmental humanities reading group in collaboration with OSEH (the Oslo School for the Environmental Humanities). A record of these meetings can be found on my blog. If you want to attend one of the sessions, sign up for the mailing list here - or send me an email. 

Background

I have a BA degree in English Language and Culture from Leiden University. I also have MA degrees in North American Studies and Literary Studies from the same university. In 2014 I was the recipient of the Harting Scholarship which enabled my exchange with University College London. In 2016 I received the Holland Scholarship to finance my stay at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. 

I am trained as a literary scholar but since my graduation I have been branching out into new media scholarship, specifically video game studies, as well as the environmental humanities. 

Awards

• Harting Scholarship
• Holland Scholarship
• TRAHA (Theodore Roosevelt American History Award) Nominee

Positions held

• 2019 NASA fellow (Netherlands American Studies Association)