Science Fiction Trading Card Spotlight - Cat Rambo

Our next Science Fiction Trading Card Spotlight features Cat Rambo, who is displayed on card number 74 in the Science Fiction Collection.  Cat is also displayed on Science Fiction card number 244. Cat is a writer from Indiana and holds a masters in creative wirting. With over 300 publications, Cat devotes her time to the creative writing process. in 2014 she was Vice President of SFWA  (Science Fiction Writers Association) and then became President for two terms in 2015.

How have books today changed from when you were younger?  What do you like or dislike about the changes?

I don’t see as many shorter novels being published, which is a shame, because many of those were so well done, like all of Thomas Burnett Swann’s fantasy novels. I’m also seeing less and less demand for short stories, which I dislike heartily because I love short stories, both reading and writing them.

Of the books you have written, which one is close to your heart and why?

That’s a hard choice, but I’d have to say You Sexy Thing, which I wrote to please myself, and filled with the sort of characters, dialogue, and adventure that I love to see. I love those characters and intend to keep writing them for a good long time.

What does it take to be a professional writer today?

Perseverance, a good work ethic, and talent are all essential. Being a decent human being will also get you farther ahead in the industry than not.

You have won many awards in your career.  Which one are you most proud of and why?

I am most proud of the Nebula Award I won in 2020 for my novelette, Carpe Glitter, because the Nebula is an award chosen by fellow writers. 

If you could describe Walter Day in one word, what would that word be and why?

Awesome, because Walter has always struck me as one of the coolest human beings around.

What is your favorite type of book to read and why?

I like big books and I cannot lie. I read fast and to me a solid, immersive series, preferably with a solid speculative element, is my favorite jam. I go back and reread them sometimes - C.J. Cherryh’s Chanur series is one I’ve read multiple times now, for example.

What do you think about e-books that you can download versus the actual physical hard copy?

I have mixed feelings. I love my Kindle and the way I can load it up with books before a trip, as well as the instant gratification of buying something online and downloading it. And the rise of indie publishing that e-books has facilitated is great - there’s so much wonderful stuff out there.

At the same time, I like a physical book because it never runs out of battery and you can, if you like, write notes in it. I run a short story discussion club and we read a 20th century short story each month. I love being able to put notes in my physical copy of whatever anthology or collection it appeared in, including who was at the discussion session, and the highlights of what we talked about.

There’s also the ability to browse when you’re in a library or bookstore that’s very different from scrolling a webpage. You can take a book down, read the back cover, and crack it open to sample the beginning. You can look to see what’s adjacent on the shelf and what else the author has written. 

There’s also a question of physical space. I’ve taken to requesting anything that I would have bought off Amazon from my local library - including e-books. I accumulate books like a pocket collects lint, so I’m constantly culling.

What authors do you admire today and who did you look up to as a child?

Some of the writers I admire are Cadwell Turnbull, N.K. Jemisin, Stephen Graham Jones, Ann Leckie, Sarah Pinsker, and Harry Turtledove.

Theodore Sturgeon’s short stories were a huge influence as a teen, and so were writers like Ursula K. LeGuin, Anne McCaffrey, Andre Norton, Joanna Russ, and Thomas Burnett Swann, 

If you did not become a writer, what would you be doing?

I would have either been a veterinarian or a landscape gardener. I was heavily influenced by the novels of James Herriott as a child, and wanted to be a vet from the age of about 10-14.

What is your favorite Science Fiction movie or TV show, and why?

I love a lot of SF movies, but I would have to say Farscape remains my favorite. I love mixes of aliens getting along.

What are your favorite hobbies today?

I collect rocks, and have a tumbler I use to polish some of them. I frequently fossil hunt up at Lake Michigan near me or when I’m traveling. I also love to cook, particularly trying new foods or techniques - and the same goes for eating!

What are your favorite books past and present?

I love the short stories of Samuel R. Delany, R.A. Lafferty, Carol Emshwiller, Zenna Henderson, Franz Kafka, Tanith Lee, Flannery O’Connor, Grace Paley, Theodore Sturgeon, Kit Reed, Kurt Vonnegut, and a bunch more. I’m very fond of Dorothy Dunnett for historical fiction. 

My favorite present book is whatever I’m reading, but books I’m recommending this year include:

The Fall is All There Is (C.M. Caplan), The Mercy of Gods (James S.A. Corey), The Reformatory (Tananarive Due), The Spell Shop (Sarah Beth Durst), Victorian Psycho (Virginia Feito), Menewood (Nicola Griffith), This Princess Kills Monsters (Ry Herman), The Ballad of Perilous Graves (Alex Jennings), The Last Shield (Cameron Johnston), Liberty's Daughter (Naomi Kritzer), Metallic Love (Tanith Lee), The Scarlet Throne (Amy Leow), The Tusks of Extinction (Ray Nayler), Hum (Helen Phillips), The Book of Doors (Gareth Powell), Alien Clay (Adrian Tchaikovsky), The Incandescent (Emily Tesh), Camp Damascus (Chuck Tingle), Womb City (Tlotlo Tsamaase), and Someone You Can Build a Nest In (John Wiswell).

What do you see yourself doing in the next 5 years?

I see myself continuing to write at a rate of a book or two per year, along with a number of stories. I also intend to keep running the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writes, my online community for writers, and the Wayward Wormhole, which is a yearly face to face workshop with awesome teachers in a cool locations. So far we’ve done a castle in Spain and a dark skies preserve in New Mexico. Next up is the Barbados; and we’re thinking about Japan sometime in the next few years, which should allow more Australia and Asia-based writers to attend.