Death Qualified and The Best Defense by Kate Wilhelm
"Death Qualified" and "The Best Defense" are narratives that explore themes of chaos theory, justice, and personal redemption through the lens of the legal system. In "Death Qualified," the story follows Lucas Kendricks, who, after participating in experiments on chaos theory, gains extraordinary abilities. However, his return to his hometown leads to his murder, with his wife, Nell, accused of the crime. Defense attorney Barbara Holloway, despite her aversion to law, takes on the case, unraveling a complex web of secrets tied to the chaos experiments.
On the other hand, "The Best Defense" sees Barbara, now in Eugene, Oregon, drawn back to the legal field when she is asked to defend Paula Kemmerman, labeled the "Baby Killer" by the media. Initially hesitant, Barbara investigates Paula's case, revealing a narrative of victimhood amidst societal injustices and legal failings. Both stories highlight the challenges faced by individuals within the legal system and the struggle for truth and justice, showcasing Barbara's journey as she grapples with her professional ethics and personal beliefs. Together, these narratives invite readers to contemplate the intersections of science, morality, and the pursuit of justice.
On this Page
Death Qualified and The Best Defense
First published:Death Qualified: A Mystery of Chaos (1991) and The Best Defense (1994)
Type of work: Novels
Type of plot: Science fiction—cautionary
Time of work: The 1990’s
Locale: Turner’s Point and Eugene, Oregon
The Plot
Prior to the opening of Death Qualified, Lucas Kendricks agrees to participate in scientific studies on the mathematical theories of chaos. A group of university researchers believes that by showing a sequence of carefully designed computer images of fractals to volunteer subjects, the volunteers will learn to perceive the world in new ways and will understand events that appear chaotic to most people. Lucas learns through the experiments, but most volunteers show no change.
As they run out of money, the researchers solicit male prostitutes to watch the computer images. One of the young prostitutes learns to understand the logic of chaos, and in the process, he acquires superhuman abilities. These abilities are not described in detail, but they appear similar to mental telepathy and telekinesis, only more powerful. In a fit of jealous rage, one scientist kills the successful volunteer. Because Lucas knows too much, the researchers drug him and keep him prisoner for seven years, disguised as a mentally impaired handyman.
As the book opens, Lucas escapes and travels back to his hometown of Turners Point, Oregon. He remembers everything the experiment has taught him and wants to share his new abilities with his family. As soon as he returns to his hometown, however, he is murdered, allegedly by his wife, Nell. Gifted attorney Barbara Holloway is called into town by her father, Frank, a prosperous lawyer, to help with Nell’s defense. Although Barbara has turned her back on the law, she takes on the seemingly hopeless case, in which all clues lead back to the experiments in chaos theory.
With the help of her boyfriend, mathematics professor Mike Dineson, Barbara identifies the real killer. More dangerous than the killer, however, are computer disks from the experiment. Smuggled into Turner’s Point by Lucas before his death, they kill Mike (or send him into another dimension) and threaten Lucas and Nell’s children. At the end of the novel, Barbara once again abandons the law out of hatred for the legal system.
The Best Defense shows that Barbara cannot stay away from the law for long. She is living in Eugene, Oregon, on the tiny salary she makes helping poor people who cannot afford legal services at full rates. When Lucille Reiner asks Barbara to help her sister, Barbara does not realize that the sister is Paula Kemmerman, dubbed the “Baby Killer” by the press. Paula allegedly killed her six-year-old daughter, then set fire to the shelter for battered women where they were living. Despite Barbara’s reluctance to take on another high-profile case, with the help of her father, she proves that Paula is the innocent victim both of a right-wing fundamentalist and of a legal system that has turned its back on an innocent victim.