Karl Kristian Swane Bambini

Karl Kristian S. Bambini is a PhD fellow at Østfold University College and is conducting his research training at the University of Agder. Drawing on the fields of ecocriticism and utopian studies, his dissertation discusses how Norway’s recent wave of ecodystopian literature criticizes the Norwegian welfare state, particularly in light of Norway’s green environmental image, oil-driven economy, and rising consumer culture. Bambini completed his masters at the University of Oslo in 2015 and has previously published on dystopian SF literature.

My dissertation seeks to fill a critical void in contemporary Science Fiction (SF) research by mapping the troubled terrain between humans and nature in Norway’s ecological dystopias. While Norway is framed as a utopian welfare state focused on citizen needs and environmental concerns, the recent wave of ecodystopian literature indicates a growing concern for the environment and climate change. This project will explore the various ways these ecodystopias respond to and criticize Norway’s image as a green nation, particularly in regards to it's reliance on petroleum revenues and rising consumer culture.