The Only Harmless Great Thing is a 2018 alternate history story by Brooke Bolander, exploring the conjunction of Topsy the Elephant and the Radium Girls scandal.

[1] In a world where sign language communication with elephants became possible in the 1880s, but they were still considered animals for several decades more, US Radium has purchased several (including Topsy) to replace their litigious human employees, because elephants can tolerate higher doses of radiation.

Decades in the future, a scientist tries to persuade the elephant community to allow themselves to become long-term nuclear waste warning messages.

[2] The story, which is approximately 90 to 100 pages, was first released in the US as first edition by Tom Doherty Associates as a Tor.com Book.

[3] Publishers Weekly considered it to be "disjointed" and "hard to follow", with little "plot or (...) emotional hook", but nonetheless stated that Bolander's "lyrical writing is pleasant".