Introduction to the world of Victorian Evil Scientists

Short book synopsis
Clothilde is a chemist in a French research laboratory. Yet, despite having a doctorate, she is stuck doing menial laboratory work; after all, real research is reserved for men. Unwilling to get married and become nothing more than her husband's assistant, Clothilde tried to get funding to start her own lab from the French, Belgium and British governments. All for nothing, of course. However, she does not even have time to swallow her fury at their refusal before she is kidnapped by an evil Dark Lord. He drag her to his secret base to get her to do some terrible experiments for him, giving her threats and... unlimited budget?

Meta

Genre

Romantic Fantasy, Science Fantasy, Steampunk.

Location

Alternative 1880s Europe in the middle of an industrial revolution.

Unique selling point

Enjoy working for an evil Dark Lord without morals or ethics and helping him in his nefarious plots!

Paris by Georges Stein

Setting the scene

The world

Peace is back in Europe, and the English seem to have finally resigned themselves over France being a republic again. At least until the next revolution—which should not take too long, given the rhythm at which they have been succeeding each other in the last century. The newfound peace has allowed the whole continent to prosper and compete in a less martial manner, and the industrial revolution has never been so intense. This is the era of scientists and engineers.
Yet, despite all the changes brought by the new knowledge and technologies, it seems that some individuals will always be excluded from the progress. Beheading all those nobles was useless if they were all immediately exchanged for a new kind of robber barrons: industrialist magnates. As a result of their greed, many Europeans suffer from abject poverty. But at least in France those citizens can vote, right? Liberty, equality and fraternity for all. Except women, of course.

Paris by Charles Leroy Saint Aubert

Science

The latest fascinations are all about chemistry and biology. New molecules and materials are being discovered and invented every week and immediately produced in enormous manufactures and sold in grand magasins and barracks equally.
The secrets of life are being pierced one by one thanks to new kinds of experiments that require a constant sacrifice of test subjects—the exact identity of which varies from sentient single cell organisms to humans, depending on local regulations. The resulting progress in medicine have allowed for the development of miracle treatments and cures. It seems that even immortality is now within reach.
Just like technologies has revolutionised the world, the rules have needed to progress with it and not stay stuck in the last century. Ethics is only a weapon that you use to handicap your opponents or an excuse to hit them. After all, only the utmost dedication will allow humanity to truly control its destiny and only great ruthlessness will allow anyone to seize their share of the spoils.
Because of all of this, spies and saboteurs are everywhere. Fortunes are made and destroyed in an instant. Anyone with both a brain and daring can win everlasting glory if they can get someone to give them a chance—and starting money. Scientists and engineers are the new heroes of the nations, conquering one area after another for the benefit of humanity.

Science by serezniy on DepositPhotos

A scientist carrying out a perfectly ethical experiment by Nomadsoul1 on DepositPhotos

Characters

MC: Clothilde is a French woman in her mid-30s. She has a doctorate in chemistry and work as a lab assistant for an important Parisian professor. She absolutely hates being forced to do menial labour for the man and his stupid students, as well as having to suffer their romantic advances. No one can even consider that she would want more in life than marrying and becoming her future husband's assistant.
Clothilde is especially disgusted of the situation because this is exactly what she tied to avoid by studying chemistry. At first, she wanted to go into medicine like her brother, before she realised a woman could only become a nurse without progression prospect and forced to obey arrogant doctors. Not to mention the horrifying censure of female anatomy that is everywhere in medical textbooks! From the outside, chemistry had seemed a much more progressive field.
And yet, despite Clothilde having ended up with the same doctorate title as men, she now find herself exactly in the same situation she had tried to avoid... The only way to escape it is money. Enough money can always solve any problems. But of course, despite their pretty words of equality, the French are just as sexists as the Belgians and the English, and all of them had refused her the funding to start her own lab.

Clothilde by serezniy on DepositPhotos

The Dark Lord: Evil, cunning and ruthless. Little else is known about him. The reason why he is called a Dark Lord rather than being branded a terrorist just like everyone else is that he has mastered the secret of esoteric research. Magic. A mysterious field of science that is still puzzling everyone else.
What he wants to do with all that power is unknown, but nothing good will come out of it. The man does not even seem to be interested in a nice and traditional coup d'état!

The Dark Lord by konradbak on DepositPhotos

Conflicts

Being kidnapped by an evil Dark Lord.

Being threatened by said evil Dark Lord and forced to work for him.

Risking getting captured or killed by the governments opposing the Dark Lord because she refused to make herself a martyr by denying him what he wants.

Having access to some terrible state-of-the-art machinery and materials to use in nefarious experiments.

Having poor enslaved minions at her beck and call.

The ethics and all of that stuff...

An evil minion by Kruchenkova on DepostPhotos

What to read next