Great Leaders in Speculative Fiction -- Where To Find 'Em & Why they Rock

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Well, here I am on February 2nd as promised last month -- which is not a huge shift, but still takes a bit of adjustment, having posted on the 1st of every month for so long. :-)

You may consider the adjustment made, though, as -- bright-eyed and full of verve ;-) -- I kick off a 2025 featuring Leaders and Leadership in speculative fiction. (That's fantasy and scifi, just in case you're wondering!)

In particular, I hope to highlight each leader's style and why others in the story follow them, starting with an enduring favorite: 

Mara of the Acoma in Daughter of the Empire

Mara is the lead character in the Empire trilogy by Raymond E Feist and Janny Wurts: Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire, and Mistress of the Empire respectively. 

The story opens when a young Mara discovers that she is the sole surviving member of House Acoma, with its rulers and armies annihilated by treachery in a distant war. She has been training for a religious life, but if her clan are to survive, she must forgo that genuine calling and assume political leadership. So great a change would be daunting under any circumstances, but House Acoma has powerful enemies, bent on obliterating Mara and enslaving her clan. 

Rulership in the Empire is hereditary, so bloodline and rank are the initial basis for Mara leading the Acoma. She also chooses to accept the role, forgoing a religious calling when pursuing it would have preserved her own life. Yet without a hereditary ruler, everyone else in the clan would be either enslaved or condemned to outlawry, forgoing all honor. So the second aspect of Mara's leadership, demonstrated in that initial choice and reinforced throughout the story, is a strong sense of duty and service. In other words, it's never all about her. 

Mara's position, however, is extraordinarily weak. To survive, she must not only adapt, learn fast, and outwit her enemies, but think well outside the square. In an Empire hidebound by tradition, her ability to question custom and reshape social codes without breaking the laws, win Mara new followers and vital alliances. 

Mara's sense of duty and service inspire loyalty in others. Similarly, her acumen and success, particularly with the outside-the-square solutions, build confidence in her leadership. Mara also demonstrates considerable courage in the face of adversity -- but just as tellingly, she is merciful in victory. And it's the mercy, building on her other qualities, that eventually changes the Empire.

All in all, I consider Mara of the Acoma one of the great leaders in speculative fiction.

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About Helen Lowe

Helen Lowe is an award-winning novelist, poet, and lover of story. With four books published to date, she is currently completing the final instalment in The Wall Of Night series.
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Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog, monthly on the Supernatural Underground, and tweets @helenl0we.