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 Anthropocene temporalities in science fiction novels and 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 both sci-fi novels and video games generate that are tapping into the cultural and political insecurities and opportunities characterizing the Anthropocene.
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)