Recurrent Themes – Politicians
Politicians seem to be everywhere.
Background
So Star Trek canon has loads of politicians and political leaders. Here are the ones that I’ve gone to the most in my fan fiction.
I decided to not include monarchs in this group. Instead, these people attained office via elections.
Currently, they are all male, although that was not my intention, to only have elected male rulers. A lot of this skew is due to the fact that most of the politicians showcased herein are Daranaeans.
Appearances
Acreon
The war hero of Daranaea is in power at the start of Flight of the Bluebird.
Jonathan Archer
In canon, Jonathan eventually wins an election to the presidency of the United Federation of Planets. I have not shown that. But he is as a representative in Flight of the Bluebird, and as a retired former president in both Bread and A Hazy Shade.
Arnis
Arnis, the Alpha of Daranaea, suffers disgrace. So he goes to prison for murder at the end of Take Back the Night, proving that even he is not above the law.
Boestus
One of the pieces of the plot of Flight of the Bluebird is the elections for Alpha, as Acreon is retiring. Boestus is the conservatives’ standard bearer.
Chawev
So at the end of Reversal, Chawev is hauled off to jail (I seem to incarcerate my leaders a lot). And this is for the crime of poisoning Yipran with potassium.
Elemis
This Beta Council representative is elected in a special election after Arnis is disgraced at the end of Take Back the Night.
Todd Stratton
Boris Yarin‘s brother-in-law is an official, high up in the deep future government. He is the only politician I have written, so far, for the HG Wells series.
Ubvelwev
So in Voice of the Common Man, on Election Day, Lili votes for him to become the First Minister of the Lafa System, whereas Doug remains undecided by the end of the day.
Vidam
In the elections for Alpha in Flight of the Bluebird, Vidam represents the liberals on Daranaea, and is known to the electorate as the man who, during Debate, first brought to a vote the issue of granting the vote to Prime Wives (he lost, by an overwhelming amount).
Upshot
So I need to write some female (and nongendered) politicians and political leaders, I think!
You can find me on Google+.
To date, I’ve largely ignored politics and politicians save one story way back ‘Buried History’ which was a complicated story. I liked the themes and the morality grappling that can be explored with writing such situations and characters. And the fun is that one does not need to get ‘political’ in doing so. In a way, people interactions is politics distilled but writing politicians usually involves writing certain kinds of characters that make for good stories – so either the very good or the very bad. But again, it usually makes for good stories. Hoping to explore some of that aspect now as I move forward in my Watchtower universe and start to include intrigues and back biting between ambassadors and politicians in a post Dominion War time frame. Hopefully, it should be as rewarding in story and character fodder as it has been for you jespah.
I’m sure you’ll be great (you always are!). One thing I’ve tried to stay away from is the trope of the bad Federation leader. I’ve had bad leaders and screwups but I want there to be something non-trope-y about that, if that makes any sense. It was important to me, in Flight, for the “good” guy to lose, and do so graciously. And then the reader finds out that his opponent isn’t a “bad” guy; he just has different ideas. I’m trying not to demonize one side or the other. In Reversal, the leader is a bad guy but it’s not so much his leadership that’s in question as that he’s allowed himself to be corrupted by the affair he’s having with a woman who’s ruthlessly power-hungry.
Lili for President!
In all seriousness, it never fails to surprise me how few female politicians we see, but i think that in all your stories I’ve read, those characters did need to be male to fit the story, I’m sure when you show us some female politicians from both sides they’ll be equally good.
Aw, thanks! Heh, Lili would just feed everyone.
And for our debate on the jobs bill, we’ll be having a lobster bisque ….
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