Exclusive Interview: “The Reinvented Detective” Editors Jennifer Brozek & Cat Rambo

You’d think with all the advances in technology lately that it would be difficult to get away with a crime. But then, they probably thought the same in the ’70s and the ’50s and so on.

That’s because for every advancement in crime prevention tech and crime investigation tech, there’s just as many in the tech used to commit crimes.

How will crime, and crime prevention evolve in the future? No one knows for sure, but it’s interesting to imagine the possibilities.

Or, more apropos, to read what other people imagine are the possibilities.

Which brings me to the following email interview with Jennifer Brozek and Cat Rambo, editors of the new cyberpunk science fiction short story anthology, The Reinvented Detective (paperback, Kindle, audiobook).

Jennifer Brozek, Cat Rambo

I’d like to start with some background. What is The Reinvented Anthology series about, and what makes them different from other short story anthologies?

Cat: The Reinvented Anthology series looks at a particular theme each volume and tries to show the wide range of possible science fiction stories inherent in that theme. As a series, it’s also reflecting the tastes of the editors, both of whom are writers working in the field and well acquainted with current trends.

So, what was the anthology The Reinvented Heart about?

Cat: The theme was relationships in the future. Originally, the publisher was thinking romantic relationships, but we pushed to make the relationships include friends, siblings, and other non-romantic relationships.

And then what is the theme or focus of The Reinvented Detective?

Jennifer: The theme is about how crime and punishment in the future change due to technology, societal changes, and social mores. Especially with advancing technology for online / digital lives and truly sentient artificial intelligences. Not to mention augmented reality, virtual reality, or a hybrid of all of the above.

Who came up with the idea for The Reinvented Detective?

Jennifer: This one was all me! I have a deep and abiding love of noir detective stories, as well as mysteries in the future. Think Blade Runner / Blade Runner 2049 or any Philip K. Dick type story.

Also, as a member of Gen X, I grew up without the Internet, and was introduced to it in my formative adult years. I remember things that many people have never been without (contact online access, Google, Amazon, and more). My world has changed enough that I can see how technology changes the face of society and how people interact with each other.

And yet…many of the same problems remain. We all live, love, hate, feud, want. We are still human in all the ways that matter. Which means no matter the circumstances, motivations for crimes remain the same. It’s how we see, solve, and punish those crimes that change. That’s what I wanted the stories to be about, and our authors delivered.

So then Cat, what was it about this idea that you liked? Or thought would lead to something good?

Cat: Jenn did! Certainly I’ve always loved a good detective story, whether it’s one of Agatha Christie’s multitude of detectives or Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. A detective has to be smart, and part of the pleasure of detective stories is figuring out what happened along with the sleuth.

Once you had the theme, how did you find the writers? Did you have an open call, did you ask people you knew or whose work you liked…?

Cat: We collected a list of people whose writing we enjoyed that we wanted to approach, and also solicited all of the writers who had something in the first anthology. Then we did an open call for the remainder of the stories.

Jennifer: It is always good to have an open call after you have a core base of the anthology because you find new-to-you authors who might become your favorite in the future. I love discovering new-to-me talent.

And did their stories have to be newly written for this collection?

Cat: Yes, because one of the things that makes an anthology a lasting one is not just the vision of the writing landscape that it presents, but aspects of that landscape that are difficult to find elsewhere.

Jennifer: Also, the Reinvented Anthology series has a specific point of view that we look for and many already written stories don’t have that. I’d rather not shoehorn in a story that sorta works from someone famous just because they are famous.

Were there other parameters that the stories in The Reinvented Detective had to fit? Like, was there a word limit, did they all have to be written first-person, what?

Jennifer: There was a word minimum and limit. Though, a couple of authors went over that limit with permission. 3000-6000 words is a good sweet spot for an anthology. The more shorter stories we have, the more authors we can include in the anthology. There are always budget and word limit constraints.

As for what POV, that was up to the author based on the story they told. We have first, third, and epistolatory points of view.

Now, along with being editors, you’re both also writers [and to read my previous interview with Cat about her novel You Sexy Thing, click here]. Do you have stories in The Reinvented Detective?

Cat: Neither of us do. I firmly believe that editors publishing their own work is a little tacky and a lot unscrupulous.

Jennifer: The only exception is when I have already written a story for a media tie-in anthology and then I am brought on to assist in editing as a co-editor. Then, the other editor edits my story. But, in general, the practice is frowned upon.

As we discussed earlier, The Reinvented Detective is the second anthology in The Reinvented Anthology Series after The Reinvented Heart. Did you learn anything while putting Heart together that made Detective better or the process easier?

Cat: While we’d worked together before, in this effort we were — and continue to be — a team, and teamwork takes communication and work. It helps that we balance each other out well, and have complementary senses of humor.

Jennifer: We learned how we work together and where our strengths lie. I think it helps to know what things we each are good at. I can ask Cat to whip something up in Canva for PR and Cat can ask me about projected due dates or count on me to keep the project management side of things on track.

And then what is the plan moving forward for The Reinvented Anthology Series?

Cat: I’d like to do The Reinvented Coin next, and focus on economic issues, including poverty and wealth in the future. Lots of potential plots there!

So, is there anything else you think people need to know about The Reinvented Detective?

Cat: That it’s a great range of voices, and a sampling of some of the best folks working in short story nowadays.

Jennifer: I think there’s a bit of everything in this anthology for all readers. That’s the joy of a detective story. The good guy doesn’t always win. The bad guy doesn’t always lose. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out if the main character is a good guy, bad guy, or an anti-hero. There are many different types of detective and crime stories, and I believe The Reinvented Detective anthology has a lot to offer.

Finally, if someone enjoys The Reinvented Detective, what cyberpunk sci-fi short story anthology that someone else edited would you each suggest they check out?

Jennifer: My first thought was to read stuff in Clarkesword magazine and Lightspeed magazine. But they aren’t specifically cyberpunk. Nevertheless, they are excellent sci-fi magazines.

Cat: I would suggest they look at the terrific anthologies being put on a regular basis by Zombies Need Brains Publishing, which have included cyberpunk in various manifestations.