Austin Taylor, a young author and aspiring lawyer, is speaking from the attic of her childhood farmhouse in rural Maine. At 26, she radiates youthful vitality with her glowing skin and long blonde hair. Taylor is set to begin her law studies at Stanford University after graduating with a double degree in chemistry and English from Harvard University. Recently, she made waves in the literary world by publishing her debut novel, Notes On Infinity, which she secured for a seven-figure sum in the U.S.
While some may label her an over-achiever, Taylor grapples with feelings of inadequacy stemming from her experiences at Harvard. “I certainly felt intense pressure at Harvard,” she reflects. “You’re surrounded by people doing incredible cutting-edge work, especially in the sciences. There’s a sense that if you’re not doing something absolutely incredible, you’re falling short or failing. I certainly felt that way.”
This pressure influenced her novel, Notes On Infinity, which critiques the “move fast and break things” mentality prevalent in biotech sectors fueled by venture capital. The narrative follows two talented Harvard students, Zoe and Jack, whose scientific breakthroughs lead them to drop out and start a biotech firm claiming to have found a cure for aging—a cautionary tale reflecting both the allure and ruin of unchecked ambition.
“The dollar amounts are just unimaginable,” Taylor states, discussing biotech funding. “That amount of money can create problematic and scary incentive structures in science, which is inherently a slow and uncertain field.” Her novel takes a critical look at these tensions between scientific integrity and commercial pressures.
Taylor drew inspiration from the infamous case of Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Theranos. Holmes, celebrated for her brilliance and beauty, faced severe criticism and legal consequences when her startup—and its claims—collapsed. Characters in Taylor’s novel similarly face the challenges of navigating the intersection of talent, gender, and ambition.
“I was interested in exploring the tokenization of women in STEM,” Taylor observes. She emphasizes how Holmes was both idolized and demonized for her gender during the peak and decline of Theranos, noting, “I heard a disturbing number of comments about how she must have used her sexuality to manipulate male funders.”
Beyond her literary successes, Taylor’s upbringing as the daughter of a dairy farmer shaped her identity and drive. “I had a pretty idyllic, rural childhood,” she recalls, combining farm life with academic interests and sports. Her choice to attend Harvard was fueled by a quest for academic excellence, but upon arrival, Taylor felt alienated from peers who shared prior connections to the institution.
“That transition was pretty jarring,” she admits. “I didn’t realize the extent to which most people at Harvard had already been embedded in that sort of community.” This feeling of being an outsider intensified as she pursued a chemistry degree, with worries that her path diverged too far from her rural roots.
Despite initial success in science, her passion for writing resurfaced during English classes. Taylor shares, “If you had asked me when I was 10, I would have said ‘writer’…I turned away because it seemed like a total pipe dream.”
After college, she worked for a nonprofit but returned home to focus on her health. This break led her to reevaluate her path and ultimately pursue her writing dreams. The first novel she submitted faced rejection, but she remained undeterred, rapidly shifting to her concept for Notes On Infinity.
“I was compelled by the idea for Notes and convinced it could be special,” she explains. “A degree of stubbornness, and a bit of naivety, drove me forward.”
The success of her book has drastically changed her life. With deals across multiple countries, including the U.S., U.K., and Germany, she feels the weight of newfound financial security yet remains grounded. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a phone call where there was a ‘you-should-sit-down’ moment,” she adds, acknowledging her nascent success.
Looking ahead, Taylor is eager to combine her interests in law, technology, and storytelling. She aims to focus on the intersection of AI, media, and the arts, advocating for the necessity of legal protections for writers in the age of digital innovation. “I recognize we must make space for AI’s vast potential, but I am concerned that existing legal frameworks provide inadequate protections,” she states.
Alongside her legal studies at Stanford, Taylor continues to write. She has completed a draft for her second novel, exploring themes within the tech startup culture, and is already brainstorming her third, which will be set in Silicon Valley.
Taylor’s work, Notes On Infinity, is published by Michael Joseph.
