This special, off-week email is coming to you with a special request: Free Planet is eligible for a 2026 Hugo Award but we need your help to get nominated! More details—as well as a link to a recent podcast appearance—below. But first…

Have you ordered Free Planet vol 1? Have you reviewed it on Amazon, GoodReads and League of Comic Geeks? Are you tired of me asking yet?

The grandest prize in science fiction

The Hugo Awards are a massive deal. For more than 60 years, the World Science Fiction Society has honored the absolute best in science fiction and fantasy at the annual World Science Fiction Convention (WorldCon). In light of the book’s literary ambitions, our research-forward approach, and the massively profound influence of foundational scifi novels, I truly believe that Free Planet is worthy of a Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story or Comic.

However, one of the things that makes the Hugos unique is its process for nominations: The Hugo Award nomination process is restricted to attendees of last year’s WorldCon in Seattle and the upcoming one in Anaheim. If that describes you, I would—naturally—be enormously grateful if you’d nominate Free Planet in the Best Graphic Story or Comic category.

But even if you aren’t eligible to nominate books for the Hugos, you can still help: Please continue spreading the good word, not just about Free Planet, but specifically about its Hugo eligibility. Nominations must be submitted by Friday, March 27, so we don’t have much time. Head here for additional details.

Functional Nerds

Recently, I was fortunate enough to guest on the incredible Functional Nerds podcast, hosted by the incredibly generous Patrick Hester and Tracy Townsend. We chatted about Free Planet, naturally, but also dug into gaming, comics formalism, and—oddly—19th century political and military maneuvering in Central Asia by imperial Britain and Russia. Listen to it on the Functional Nerds website or wherever you find your podcasts!

And that’s it for me. Thanks for reading and, of course, your continued support of Free Planet. Did I mention that the first collection—six issues for only $14.99—is available right this very minute?

Best,
Aubrey