We’re in a politically charged time in America.

November is just around the corner and with the election of a new president the course of our country will change drastically. People have taken sides, supporting their candidate with fierce determination. Some view this as a battle of good vs. evil. Liberal vs. conservative. Old School vs. New School. And then some are caught in the middle, still unsure of both sides, weary of the mudslinging but still desperate for real change. Whatever the outcome will be, it’s destined to be historic. These are epic times. And when it comes to epic stories we often turn to speculative fiction.

This made me think about some of the sci-fi tales that have presidents in somewhat significant roles. Because I’m more of a sci-fi movie/TV watcher one show came to mind most prominently: Battlestar Galactica.

BSG is adored by fans and critics. It combines complex characters, witty dialogue, a great cast and it revamped the original series in a real and relevant way.

Some other memorable movies that feature presidents are:

Independence Day – Bill Pullman plays a likable president who saves the word with Will Smith at his side.

The Fifth Element – Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister is big and zany, portraying a president who barely has a grasp on the situation, which makes good for good comedy.

Mars Attacks! – Jack Nicholson as president is just a funny thing to watch.

And the honorable semi-president award goes to John Conner, future leader of the revolution in the Terminator franchise because sometimes our world won’t be stable enough to have a president.

Which brings me to the question:

What will our elections be like in the future?

Will advanced robots handle voting day ballots to eliminate human error? Will cyborgs or genetically modified people be able to run for the top seat in government? Could an American-made robot be president? These kind of concepts could be a springboard for Christian sci-fi writers to explore. No matter how technological savvy our society becomes we’ll still need leaders and some kind of process that helps us chose them.

What are some of your favorite speculative fiction stories that deal with the presidency?