The Year of the Angry Rabbit
Encyclopedia
The Year of the Angry Rabbit is a science fiction novel by Australian
author Russell Braddon
, in which giant mutant rabbits
run amok in Australia while the Prime Minister uses a new super weapon to dominate the planet.
Much more than just a sci-fi novel about giant rabbits, it is a savagely humorous indictment of war, nationalism and capitalism. The novel was also notable as being part of a small revival of Australian science fiction in the 1960s. Its comic-horror tone was well received and it was filmed as Night of the Lepus
- a risible monster movie
.
Major General Sir Alan Jacks: Notoriously incompetent Minister of Defence whose predictions are always wrong...except for one temporary lapse of brilliance when he suggests using Supermyx as a world-dominating weapon.
Sir Alfred Hill G.C.B.: Wealthy landowner, habitual blackmailer, and the story's catalyst. After discovering oil on his property he used his wealth to dominate two boroughs (pocket boroughs), which won Fitzgerald the last election by a two-seat majority. When rabbits begin spawning on his property, Alfred threatens to use the same trick to lose Fitzgerald the next election if he can't find a way to get rid of the rabbits.
Professor Welch: Leader of the team that is tasked to develop Supermyxomatosis, in the hope of annihilating the rabbit plague on Sir Alfred's ranch.
Les Dorfmann: Welch's second-in-command, who becomes a hunted fugitive, and later becomes Fitzgerald's last hope at defeating the deadly rabbits.
Dr Miller: Assistant to professor Golovin, who helps Dorfmann escape the authorities, and later marries him.
Flo Hill, AKA "Ladyill": Wife of Sir Alfred, who Fitzgerald was once infatuated with.
Major Gary Cooper Hill: Son of Ladyill and Sir Alfred. Military man in the Australian army. Unlike the Minister of Defence, Gary is a highly competent and very effective leader.
"It looks as though Australia will be overrun by rabbits. Millions of them, immune now to the myxomatosis
that decimated them in the nineteen hundred fifties and sixties, are teeming over the land. With an election imminent, Prime Minister Kevin Fitzgerald, known to his cronies as Ella, is forced to act. It is obviously an emergency. The rabbits must be wiped out. Scientists assemble; experiments begin.
"The results are shattering. Australia suddenly becomes the most feared nation on earth: America and Russia hurriedly surrender to her their nuclear devices, as do the other powers; Fitzgerald becomes virtual dictator of the rest of the world.
"The Commonwealth Government establishes peace on earth except for limited wars which are fought under strict supervision, according to rules laid down in Canberra. Only two nations are allowed to fight at one time, for example.
"On the crest of this incredible wave of prosperity a tiny news flash is overlooked. It says: RABBIT AS BIG AS ALSATIAN SHOT BY SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHER THREE MILES NORTH OF MUDGEE...."
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
author Russell Braddon
Russell Braddon
Russell Reading Braddon was an Australian writer of novels, biographies and TV scripts. His chronicle of his four years as a prisoner of war, The Naked Island, sold more than a million copies....
, in which giant mutant rabbits
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
run amok in Australia while the Prime Minister uses a new super weapon to dominate the planet.
Much more than just a sci-fi novel about giant rabbits, it is a savagely humorous indictment of war, nationalism and capitalism. The novel was also notable as being part of a small revival of Australian science fiction in the 1960s. Its comic-horror tone was well received and it was filmed as Night of the Lepus
Night of the Lepus
Night of the Lepus, also known as Rabbits, is a 1972 American science fiction horror film based on the 1964 science fiction novel The Year of the Angry Rabbit. Released theatrically on October 4, 1972, it focuses on members of a small Arizona town who battle thousands of mutated, carnivorous killer...
- a risible monster movie
Monster movie
Monster movie is a name commonly given to movies, which centre on the struggle between human beings and one or more monsters...
.
Characters
Kevin Sean Aloysius "Ella" Fitzgerald: Prime Minister of Australia, and the novel's protagonist. He's the archetypal scheming politician.Major General Sir Alan Jacks: Notoriously incompetent Minister of Defence whose predictions are always wrong...except for one temporary lapse of brilliance when he suggests using Supermyx as a world-dominating weapon.
Sir Alfred Hill G.C.B.: Wealthy landowner, habitual blackmailer, and the story's catalyst. After discovering oil on his property he used his wealth to dominate two boroughs (pocket boroughs), which won Fitzgerald the last election by a two-seat majority. When rabbits begin spawning on his property, Alfred threatens to use the same trick to lose Fitzgerald the next election if he can't find a way to get rid of the rabbits.
Professor Welch: Leader of the team that is tasked to develop Supermyxomatosis, in the hope of annihilating the rabbit plague on Sir Alfred's ranch.
Les Dorfmann: Welch's second-in-command, who becomes a hunted fugitive, and later becomes Fitzgerald's last hope at defeating the deadly rabbits.
Dr Miller: Assistant to professor Golovin, who helps Dorfmann escape the authorities, and later marries him.
Flo Hill, AKA "Ladyill": Wife of Sir Alfred, who Fitzgerald was once infatuated with.
Major Gary Cooper Hill: Son of Ladyill and Sir Alfred. Military man in the Australian army. Unlike the Minister of Defence, Gary is a highly competent and very effective leader.
Summary
From the hardcover jacket:"It looks as though Australia will be overrun by rabbits. Millions of them, immune now to the myxomatosis
Myxomatosis
Myxomatosis is a disease that affects rabbits and is caused by the Myxoma virus. It was first observed in Uruguay in laboratory rabbits in the late 19th century. It was introduced into Australia in 1950 in an attempt to control the rabbit population...
that decimated them in the nineteen hundred fifties and sixties, are teeming over the land. With an election imminent, Prime Minister Kevin Fitzgerald, known to his cronies as Ella, is forced to act. It is obviously an emergency. The rabbits must be wiped out. Scientists assemble; experiments begin.
"The results are shattering. Australia suddenly becomes the most feared nation on earth: America and Russia hurriedly surrender to her their nuclear devices, as do the other powers; Fitzgerald becomes virtual dictator of the rest of the world.
"The Commonwealth Government establishes peace on earth except for limited wars which are fought under strict supervision, according to rules laid down in Canberra. Only two nations are allowed to fight at one time, for example.
"On the crest of this incredible wave of prosperity a tiny news flash is overlooked. It says: RABBIT AS BIG AS ALSATIAN SHOT BY SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHER THREE MILES NORTH OF MUDGEE...."
Reception
Quotes from reviews in the UK press included:- "Jolly horror" - The SpectatorThe SpectatorThe Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
- "Bitter fun" - The Sunday TimesThe Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
- "A scary tale" - VogueVogue (magazine)Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
- "A very different sort of humour … intercontinental, sadistic" - The Sunday Telegraph