Dear friends and readers:
I have officially withdrawn my acceptance of the Best Novel nomination for “Lines of Departure” at this year’s Hugo Awards.
It has come to my attention that “Lines of Departure” was one of the nomination suggestions in Vox Day’s “Rabid Puppies” campaign. Therefore—and regardless of who else has recommended the novel for award consideration—the presence of “Lines of Departure” on the shortlist is almost certainly due to my inclusion on the “Rabid Puppies” slate. For that reason, I had no choice but to withdraw my acceptance of the nomination. I cannot in good conscience accept an award nomination that I feel I may not have earned solely with the quality of the nominated work.
I also wish to disassociate myself from the originator of the “Rabid Puppies” campaign. To put it bluntly: if this nomination gives even the appearance that Vox Day or anyone else had a hand in giving it to me because of my perceived political leanings, I don’t want it. I want to be nominated for awards because of the work, not because of the “right” or “wrong” politics.
Thank you to everyone who voted for “Lines of Departure” because you read the novel and genuinely thought it worthy of award recognition. Please be assured that I did not reach this decision lightly, and that I don’t want to nullify or minimize your opinion. But keeping the nomination is not a moral option at this point, and I hope you will understand.
This is my choice alone, and I am making it without pressure from any side in the current Hugo debate. Please respect it as such.
Marko Kloos
April 15, 2015
I admired your perseverance and dedication, watching from the wings. But today, I do not think you’re making the correct choice. Been nice reading you.
I totally understand why you did this, and respect you for it. Sorry you had to go through this. I was looking forward to reading your work in the packet, and am sad.
This will not be the first time you appear on a Hugo ballot.
May the next time be free of rancor and politics.
I don’t agree with this decision. Still looking forward to the next book.
Sorry to hear this, but totally respect your decision. If it makes any difference to you, I would have voted for you, and I had no idea you were on the RP ballot. The work deserved it (although Ancillary Sword was neck and neck).
I just wrote a blog about why I was going to take my Hugo voting seriously (http://www.csdaley.com/?p=4293) despite the rabid puppy slate. I was actually looking forward to reading your novel.
I understand and respect your decision. I just went and bought your book to read anyway. I am looking forward to it. I wish there was more I could do for all the people who got caught in the middle of this.
I am so very sorry you have found yourself in this position, and I greatly admire your courage and integrity. I have never read anything by you, but it shall remedy this omission.
With admiration,
Mary Kay Kare
I’m sorry that you’ve withdrawn – me, I think Lines absolutely deserved the nomination, but I understand your position and your desire to avoid being smeared with the skunky taint of VD and his ilk. What a disappointment for you!
I’m sorry you felt this was necessary, but completely understand and an impressed by your decision.
Very well said, Marko, and as a fan and a Hugo voter I respect you for this decision. Ignore what the “sad puppy” called “slime” has said in the comments above (why should anyone pay any attention to what cowards who won’t even sign their true names to a comment might have to say anyway?), I think you did the right thing in disassociating yourself from their act of “Hugo-terrorism”. I’ve not read your work before now, but in recognition of your courage in making this decision, I will look for and buy some of it now. I hope that the next time we see your name on an awards nomination there won’t be any Hugo-terrorists trying to drag you into their agenda.
Curt Phillips – Science Fiction Fan
“Terrorism.” Really. For suggesting some nominations for a literary award, people are terrorists. I think you owe a lot of people an apology, Curt.
Vox Day is a smug, gleeful little monster, and yes, he is a terrorist. He gamed the Hugos, threatened to destroy them AND the Nebulas if he didn’t get goodies for himself and his buddy John C. Wright, and is a racist, a chauvinist, and a terrible writer. Why the hell are you defending him?
I admire your principles and your decision makes me more hopeful that in the future there will be a Hugo award with reputation intact for you to win.
I’m not familiar with your work, but I respect your decision and I am motivated to give it a try.
Well said. This makes me so much more inclined to buy and read your books.
I am sorry to hear that you were forced into this position. You do deserve the nomination, the first story of your’s I read was Lucky 13 when it first hit this blog. It brought tears to my eyes. You are an awesome writer, but I can understand not wanting to be associated with Vox Day.
You will always have my support, and your work is something that I will always eagerly anticipate.
When the whole Puppy mess broke, I looked for sample writing by some of the SP/RP nominees so that I could try to make up my own mind about the quality of their nominees. Some of them (no names, no packdrill) I thought were very poorly written and unimaginative. My reaction after reading the first chapter of “Terms of Enlistment”, on the other hand, was “Hey, this is actually pretty good. I could read and enjoy this.”
Withdrawing must have been a hard choice to have to make, but in this context it’s probably the honorable and certainly the smart thing to do. I hope you will get another chance at a nomination in future in less contentious circumstances.
Marko,
You did exactly the right thing and I respect you so much for doing so. Regardless of your politics I shall continue to read your books. Thanks for writing them
Bummer, Marko! I think you totally deserved your shot at the rocket! But I understand if you feel like Vox Day made the effort not worth it. Still supporting you, and wishing you success going into 2016! You may be back on a Hugo ballot again some day. Though I suspect your fans and many readers only care if you keep putting out more books.
Brads comment, yes. This.
I thoroughly enjoyed your books and am looking forward to the next one. And the one after that. And that. etc etc.
Keep writing wordslave.
Ditto. I can’t wait for April 21st!
Sad, but I greatly respect this decision.
This must have been a tough decision to make, Marko. I respect you for making it and hope to see you on ballots in the years to come.
It seems as though I know far more about the people being hurt by the rabid puppies and their ilk than I know about the political situation itself. That said, bullies and closed minded people have no place in polite society, much less in the nominations for the highest award in the genre I most love. I honor people who maintain moral commitments, and plan to continue supporting the authors I respect!!!!!