Tyler A. Harper

Tyler A. Harper is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Bates College. His research bridges literary studies, the history of science, and philosophy, focusing on human extinction narratives pre-1945. He is author of the upcoming book *The Paranoid Animal: Human Extinction Before the Bomb* (Princeton UP), examining shifts in how extinction threats were conceptualized across centuries. Harper contributes to major publications like The Atlantic and The New York Times on topics including race, technology, and culture.

Education:

• Ph.D., Comparative Literature, New York University (2020)
• M.A., Comparative Literature, New York University (2017)
• B.A., English, Haverford College (2014)

Research Interests: Harper explores how pre-nuclear-age thinkers reimagined human extinction risks through technological intervention. His work traces transitions from fatalistic geological catastrophism (Romantic era) to post-Darwinian risk mitigation frameworks, linking these historical anxieties to modern debates about climate change, AI, and nuclear threats. He also analyzes contemporary climate fiction (cli-fi) and extinction narratives in literature.

Public Engagement: Publishes op-eds on admissions equity, cultural politics, and technology in outlets like The Washington Post and Jacobin. Recent work includes analyses of *Barbie* and *Oppenheimer* as extinction allegories, and critiques of "just literature" categorizations in publishing.

Courses Taught:

• ENVR 205: Lives in Place
• ENVR 227: Catastrophes and Hope
• EN/ES 235: Climate Fiction
• ENVR 349: Extinction