Great Bunnies of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror

Posted on April 8, 2021 by joecrowe

Rabbits are among nature’s most beautiful creatures, and they play many important roles. In movies, TV, and such, they are equally necessary, just as in nature, where they tell hunters and ducks which hunting season it is, and dress up like female Tasmanian devils.

6. 30-Second Bunnies

These bunnies re-enact movies in 30 seconds. Good movies, including Evil Dead II and Back to the Future. Watch now. You deserve it.

5. Enemies of Anya

Anya from Buffy the Vampire Slayer made it frequently clear her distaste for bunnies. In the episode “Once More With Feeling,” Anya claimed that they are not cute like everyone supposes.

4. Thunderbunny

In this 1982 comic book, a teenager wishes he was a superhero. Then he finds a crashed spaceship, where he is granted flight and super-strength, but only by turning into a muscle-bound talking bunny.

The lesson is, be careful what you wish for, because you just might get turned into a super rabbit-man.

3. Hoppy the Marvel Bunny

The power of Shazam compels you!

Captain Marvel Bunny first appeared in 1940. He returned in the 1980s to help the non-rabbit Captain Marvel in a story by Roy Thomas, a writer who loves bunnies so much he created Captain Carrot and Jaxxon the awesome Star Wars Rabbit.

Hoppy is invulnerable and super-strong like like Captain Marvel, but he’s a talking bunny.

What does a talking bunny do with the powers of Shazam? Whatever he wants.

2. Science bunnies from Lost

The things had red eyes.

When Ben Linus was Little Ben, he used one to see if a sound-wave fence was on. When he grew up, he made one fake a heart attack.

But the bunnies’ greatest contribution to Lost is that in one episode, Sawyer read Watership Down. The rabbit murders in it toughened him up.

1. Bunnicula

Bunnicula is a rabbit that a dog thinks is a vampire, in a book series by James Howe.

The star of the books is Harold the dog. Hijinks ensue when Harold tries and fails constantly to kill the bunny, and thus becomes convinced it’s a vampire.

That’s right. It’s a kids’ book. The bunny does not die. And it shows no sign of really being a vampire.

The book presents two options, but leaves the answer up to us gentle readers: The dog is crazy. Or Bunnicula is a soulless devil-spawn biding its time until it consumes the family’s lifeblood.

5. Captain Carrot

Captain Carrot was the greatest of all the animal heroes, because he was a wimpy rabbit who ate radioactive carrots to become a stronger rabbit.

Roy Thomas, a veteran writer who knows everything about comic books, even the ones with bunnies, teamed with Scott Shaw to visit a parallel Earth in the DC Universe in 1982, where superhero animals Captain Carrot, Rubberduck, Alley-Kat-Abra and Little Cheese fought Salamandroid, Dr. Hoot, and Cold Turkey. Every person, place, and thing was an animal pun. But I liked it anyway.

4. Captain Bucky O’Hare

This rabbit flew a spaceship. There might be only one thing more excellent than that. How about a rabbit who fires a laser gun?

The Captain did that, too.

Never has a hero been more resonant with our times than the good captain, who was “a funky fresh rabbit, who can take care of it.”

3. Killer rabbit, Monty Python and the Holy Grail

The Crusades were a dark time, when society had few things to help them strive forward, such as courageous knights who fought valiantly even though their arms were off.

In this bleakness, crusading warriors were set upon by deadly creatures. This terrifying historical re-enactment is not for the faint.

“What’s he do? Nibble your bum?”

2. Watership Down

So I’m eight, and a cartoon comes on at night, as cartoons were wont to do in 1978.

It’s a heroic quest story, but with rabbits, frolicking in a meadow. So I think “Neat. Bunnies.“

Then I sit down to watch and Oh Lord! Killing! Fangs! Blood! Garfunkel!

1. Jaxxon, the Green Star Wars Rabbit

Roy Thomas wrote the first issues of Marvel Comics’ Star Wars comic book. So he put a rabbit in it. That man loves him some rabbits.

Jaxxon is a green rabbit guy, which totally makes sense, since the galaxy far, far away has pig guys and walrus guys. Jaxxon is the baddest Star Wars anything that is not a Wookiee. You got that, Boba Fett?

The more serious Star Wars fans disavow Jaxxon’s existence, which makes him more awesome. Also, they need to chill out.

If you care not for Jaxxon, there may be something wrong with you.

4. Frank from Donnie Darko

Frank told Donnie Darko he would die in 28 days. He asked whether Donnie believed in time travel. He appears to be someone wearing a stupid bunny suit. He leaves us with more questions than answers.

Number one on the list: Why are we wearing these stupid man suits?

3. Usagi Yojimbo

Stan Sakai’s ronin rabbit appeared in comics in 1984. He teamed up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

But he lived in feudal Japan, not modern America. So he had no pizza or sewers. He lived outside, baby, and he had a sword, not some girly nunchuks.

2. Lepus, Night of the Lepus

“What is the terrifying mutant that strikes from behind the shroud of night?”

Night of the Lepus is about a giant bunny. Not scary, you might say, but only if you have never encountered a giant bunny.

Check out the horrifying way they pronounce mutant!

Janet Leigh runs afoul of the Lepus. You would think she learned her lesson after taking that shower in the crazy man’s hotel.

1. Hoops from Gamma World

In TSR’s 1978 role-playing game Gamma World, the apocalypse made bad things happen. Animals were mutated. Robots went crazy. Plants could talk. Best of all, it gave us a break from AD&D; for a week or two.

In Gamma World, society was crumbled. Things were rotten. You lived by your wits and fought for your life every day. But no one was prepared to handle rabbits who carried guns.

Great Moments in Hulk History

Posted on July 23, 2020 by joecrowe

10. Hulk at the Tropicana

Class. That’s what this is.

9. “Nobody Loves the Hulk”

This song was for sale in issues of Marvel Comics. You thought John Lennon’s “Imagine” was a tear-jerker?

Try this: “They dropped an H-Bomb on him, but Hulk only became annoyed.”

8. Hulk Rollercoaster at Universal Studios

At Universal theme park’s Marvel Superhero Island, don’t eat at the Fantastic Four cafe before you ride this.

It’s very exciting to hear the screams of terror from all the milksops.

7. Hulk 1970s toy commercial

The Hulk song in this toy commercial is still stuck in my head a million years later.

I’m not sure why Hulk and Spider-Man have “fly away action,” but some questions are not meant to have answers.

6. Hulk Cartoons from 1966

In 1966, appeared to be the result of someone going crazy with the scissors on a pile of comic books, then moving the pieces back and forth. It offered a finger-snapping theme song that rhymed “gamma rays” with “unglamorous.” That is called “creative expression.”

5. Incredible Hulk #417

The longest-running Hulk comic book writer is Peter David, who brought humor and heart to the Hulkster (along with plenty of smashing). Hulk throws a bachelor party for sidekick Rick Jones and invites the super-males of Marvel. Hijinks ensue, including Captain America attempting to hire a magician, and instead getting an ecydiast. (Google it. Totally worth it.)

4. Hulk cartoons from 1982 and 1996

The 1982 series had an awesome bass drum intro with Hulk growling and breaking things, as Hulk is wont to do. It was notable for Bruce Banner’s clothes, which ripped to shreds every time he Hulked out, but returned to buttoned-up shirt, tie, and nicely pleated pants when he returned to Banner form.

The 1996 series had John Rhys-Davies as Thor. Lou Ferrigno did Hulk’s voice and I have a story.

3. Meeting Lou Ferrigno

Lou Ferrigno appeared at Atlanta’s DragonCon sci-fi convention in the late 1990s, and I got in the autograph picture line. After seeing dozens of fans talk about the Hulk TV show with him, I decided to talk about something no one else did: his voice acting as Hulk on the 1996 cartoon. Some advice: Don’t be the one guy a celebrity remembers.

As the line drew closer, I plotted my message in my head: “It’s good the cartoon makers asked you to do the voice of the Hulk.”

But what came out of my mouth, to Lou Ferrigno’s face, was “I’m glad they asked you, because they must have said, “What could Lou Ferrigno be doing?”

Time stood still. I realized what I said. He realized what I said. He said “Thank you for enjoying the show,” and we shook hands. He squeezed my hand, as if to say, “I could rip this arm right off.”

This is a great moment in Hulk history because I survived.

2. The Incredible Hulk TV series

In four seasons Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno taught us many life lessons.

Number one: Don’t try to fix your car during a lightning storm.

Hulk cologne.

Lord of the Rings: The Novelization

Posted on July 23, 2020 by joecrowe

Book Probe: Deeplight by Frances Hardinge

Posted on June 8, 2020 by joecrowe

RevolutionSF’s Book Probe helps you find good things to read. OR ELSE.

Deeplight by Frances Hardinge

This is an intensely imaginative fantasy adventure about dead gods and fanatic cults and you should read it right now.

Author Frances Hardinge has thought way too much about the world she has created here, and I mean that as a compliment. Only someone who obsesses over minuscule details could have constructed such an elaborate thing.

The story presents a complete pantheon of gods in a complex, inviting fantasy world. In that brilliantly detailed setting, the story involves a mystery about dead gods and a teen who gets in over his almost instantly.

I am just now, with this book, discovering Frances Hardinge. Luckily for all of us, Hardinge has written more books, which I have sought out after reading this one.

I suggest you likewise seek out her other books. I would also suggest creating Dungeons & Dragons game statistics for the gods herein because they are perfect for Dungeon Masters to kill your players with.

You could, of course, make D&D stats and read Hardinge’s other books. Both ways, you’re doing something valuable for yourself and for other humans.

The Book of Dragons

Anthologies by their nature are fickle creatures. Sometimes they are mostly delightful, while sometimes they can be irritatingly bad with maybe two good stories.

The Book of Dragons defies such anthological expectation. It’s really good throughout.

All the authors have interesting takes on the subject matter, from poetry to fables to swords and sorcery. My personal favorite is Scott Lynch’s “Maybe Just Go Up There and Talk To It.”

I must award points to the title, a bold proclamation. THE book of dragons! When I searched for it on the webs, I found a veritable plethora of books claiming to be the book of dragons, but none with such a large font. So there you have it.

But for those who don’t generally choose books based on cover font size, the luminaries within include Jane Yolen, Ken Liu, Kelly Barnhill, Beth Cato, Peter Beagle, Michael Swanwick, Theodora Goss, and more than a dozen more.

Corporate Gunslinger by Doug Engstrom

This one is a brilliant, Twilight Zone-style speculation about a future ruled by corporate greed. It’s brutal and violent, and it’s smart and deep, too.

It’s tough to get into why this premise works so well without spoilers. It takes aim at a societal ill while also being a deeply personal story with a female hero.

It’ll make you ask questions, and that’s the best stuff that speculative fiction does (besides exploding spaceships).

Highly recommended.

Heir of Ra by M. Sasinowski

This book is so fun. It’s an Indiana Jones movie and a National Treasure movie and The Mummy and tons of other fun action flick-style stories in convenient book form.

The author clearly, absolutely loves what they’re doing. You can tell from the sparkling dialogue, the detailed storytelling, the crazy concepts.

This book is number 1 in a series, so naturally, you should start here. Right now. Have you started yet? What about now?

Book Probe: Illustrated World of Tolkien

Posted on February 4, 2020 by joecrowe

Book Probe reviews sci-fi books so you don’t have to. Buy these. They’re good.

The Illustrated World of Tolkien by David Day

Good to read while enjoying second breakfast.

This is a very cool hardcover where artists talk about Tolkien and how his work inspired their work.

It’s also a handbook of Tolkien creatures and characters.

Reading the artists’ insights and seeing their interpretations of these legendary figures is a joy, and their creativity is infectious.

Like Gollum and the One Ring, you will need to grab this right away.

It’s also possible that possessing this book will drive you bonkers like Gollum. But don’t throw it into a volcano. It’s too precious.

Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights

This is an anthology of fantasy adventure stories, and they are good stuff whether you play the game Dragon Age or not — it’s classic, good ol’ fashioned fantasy action, with elves and magic and monsters and such.

This book could get newbies into playing Dragon Age, so then it would be doing its job. If you’re already playing the game, this book is tailor-made for you because you already know where Tevinter is.

I have a tiny criticism of the book’s title.

The book title, “Tevinter Nights,” seems to suggest that these stories will be dark and sexy, but they are not. Well, any more than usual for Dragon Age stories. Maybe I’m thinking of “Baywatch Nights” starring the legendary David Hasselhoff.

Black Leviathan by Bernd Perplies

This one is Moby Dick, but with dragons.

There. You just bought a copy.

If you didn’t, dude, I don’t think I can help you.

The fanatical ship captain hunts The Firstborn Gargantuan, which I have to say is a better name for Moby-Dick than “Moby-Dick.” Sorry, Herman Melville.

Besides all that, this is an absolutely thrilling fantasy adventure, with dragons and fighting and more dragons. You know, the good stuff.

Voice of the Sword by John Paul Catton

This is the first book in a trilogy, and luckily, the other two books are already out, so you don’t have to wait for author John Paul Catton to eat, sleep, or spend time with his family while he’s writing them.

It’s good stuff. It’s clearly inspired by some genres of anime, and Catton’s writing shows the affection he has for those works; here, he has made his own in book form.

The female hero is an incredible character, a high school student caught in between a war between factions that include creatures from Japanese mythology. The story contains outlandish action, weirdness, and outlandishly weird action.

Creating the tone of the visual medium of anime with just words, I would imagine, would be an uphill struggle, but the author makes it happen in excellent fashion here.

I can’t wait to read more from this author; luckily, he has plenty of published works to keep me going. But that doesn’t get him off the hook. Back to work, Catton!

Ruthless (Eye of the Beholder Book 3) by Sarah Tarkoff

You’ll need to read the first two books in this series first, but I recommend that you do that because they’re good.

I’ll wait right here.

Hey! See, what’d I tell you? Good stuff.

This one is about a woman fighting against a government conspiracy that convince people that the Great Spirit saved humanity and now we’re living in a post-salvation world where you toe the line or you get got (I’m paraphrasing.)

Author Sarah Tarkoff has done this style of awesomeness before and I did not know it until after I had finished the series — Tarkoff wrote for some of my favorite things: The TV show Arrow and the Arrowverse cartoons The Ray and Vixen.

The story is mind-bending and thrilling, with deeply detailed characters. Book 3 is cathartic and exhilarating, a worthy conclusion and a terrific, satisfying finale.

Puzzler’s War (Tarakan Chronicles #2) by Eyal Kless

Author Eyal Kless is a classical violinist, but he can whomp up a sci-fi adventure novel, too.

This one is a sequel to the first one, so you’ll need to read that one first. This one I like better. That is to say, the first one is really good, too — but this one ramps up the action and the adventure, and the motley crew of companions mucking about in a future where everything went into the pooper.

(That’s the technical definition of a dystopia, by the way.)

It’s fun, thrilling, and well worth a read.

Warlord (Makaum War #3) by Mel Odom

This story is the third in a series, but it’s not vital to read the first two. I recommend that you do, because they’re fun like this one is fun.

This series reminds me of the Mack Bolan Stony Man series, the paperback action novels that 80s kiddos like me found in dog-eared copies from our libraries or in pristine, good-smelling copies from Waldenbooks.

I mean that comparison as a high compliment. These books are sci-fi war novels with gritty intensity and bombastic action and quotable dialogue while the heroes blast aliens.

I haven’t read much from the author Mel Odom, but now I need to. Preferably, while listening to an 80s movie soundtrack on cassette.

EDIT: My mind is blown. After I finished writing this review, I looked up Mel Odom. He has FOR REAL written Mack Bolan books. That is awesome. Now I have even more books to dig up.

Scarlet Odyssey by C.T. Rwizi

This is a heroic quest story with a ragtag group of misfits, which is the best kind of misfit group.

It’s the launch of a series by young African writer C. T. Rwizi, and the world here is inspired by cultures and myths of sub-saharan Africa (according to the book’s PR information).

It’s a thrilling, fanciful debut, crammed full of imaginative world-building and excellent dialogue. You can tell that the author had a very fun time writing the book; the imagination positively leaps off the page.

I look forward to seeing what’s next. But in the meantime, this one is worth re-reading.

Book Probe: Body by Starfleet

Posted on January 31, 2020 by joecrowe

Book Probe: We review books of geeky interest so you don’t have to. Our opinions are the correct ones.

Body by Starfleet

This book is so good that it makes me want to be a healthy person.

Ha ha, that’s not true, Book Probe is already healthy. Ha. ha. ha. [abject weeping]

This book is crammed full of silliness, while also being a pretty good exercise book, no joke.

I’m almost positive this is not the first Star Trek tie-in product to include Discovery, but it was a pleasant surprise to see Tilly get a fun exercise: Tilly’s Command Training Program Sprints.

Writer Robb Pearlman digs deep for Trek references from all generations, and they are excellent: Riker’s Leg Extensions. Deanna Troi’s Active Listeners. Chekov’s Cossack Squats. Ambassador Collos’ Medusan Vessel Stretches. Why haven’t you bought this book yet?

Is it because you were hoping for Deep Space Nine exercises? Boom — Quark’s Odo-in-a-Bucket Walks.

Doing the exercises is optional, I suppose, but I’m doing them because I’ve never been so expertly targeted with a fitness program.

Also, Georgiou commands me to do so.

Book Probe: Up Against The Wall by David Hasselhoff

Posted on September 17, 2019 by joecrowe

Book Probe seeks out this most Hasselhoffian experiences you can have, and provides links to them. Other books without Hasselhoff in them are also noted.

Up Against the Wall by David Hasselhoff

David Hasselhoff is on a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist.

Is this the greatest thing you can ever listen to?

I’m saying, “Probably.”

This is an Audible exclusive, a novel read by Mr. David Hasselhoff, starring Hasselhoff as himself, as well as a CIA agent who looks like David Hasselhoff.

Listening to Hasselhoff deliver the precisely accurate amount of humor and drama is great fun. He leans into it, chewing scenery in audio form, just like he does in musical stylings in the “Kung Fury” soundtrack and on “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.”

It takes place in 1989, and Hasselhoff is on his way to perform on top of the Berlin Wall, when action-adventure hijinks ensue. The CIA agent who looks like him takes advantage of that fact to take on some bad guys. The story is so very 80s, and I mean that as the highest compliment.

Hasselhoff has set the bar pretty high for all audio dramas now. This one took me a long time to get through, because it was a challenge to withstand the barrage of Hasselhoffian excellence. At times I felt like I didn’t deserve it.

But I did.

We all do.

I will assume this is a true story, even if told otherwise. Listen now.

Get More Hasselhoff:

Book Probe: Becoming Superman by J. Michael Straczynski

Posted on August 7, 2019 by joecrowe

Book Probe provides books that are good and you should read them right now, no fooling.

Becoming Superman, by J. Michael Straczynski

This book is really good, an autobiography about someone whose work I knew, but not his personal history.

Straczynski digs deep into both, discussing everything from his work on some of my favorite TV shows, Real Ghostbusters, He-Man, and his creation, Babylon 5.

He details his comic book work, including writing the issue of Spider-Man where the Marvel heroes (and villains) reacted to the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.

JMS gets to all that, but first, he discusses how he rose from poverty and survived a rotten childhood, and how he dealt with horrible family secrets that he didn’t find out about until he was an adult.

His recollections of frankly awful things are stark and bleak, and his rise beyond them is terrifically inspiring.

The book is equal parts personal stuff and professional stuff. I came away with a desire to binge-watch Real Ghostbusters, which is an admirable goal for anyone.

Great Moms of Classic Sci-Fi : Godzilla (1998)

Posted on May 10, 2019 by joecrowe

Godzilla (1998)

Mothers appear in every shape and every size.

They even appear in shapes none of us expected or wanted, when we were totally used to and big fans of the shape this person had been in for decades.

But sometimes moms have to be willing to change.

Even if that change means into a creature that lays eggs and looks like a pet iguana, but bigger.

The eggs had tinier lizards in them, all of whom also looked like irritating, oddly shaped lizards.

Moms think all their children are beautiful. Even if their children are lizards that also don’t look anything like what we usually think the mom looked like.

We have to give credit to this 1998 mama Godzilla. She was just trying to protect her babies from Ferris Bueller.

If only poor Cameron’s parents could have done that.

Danke schoen, 1998 Godzilla. Danke schoen.

Book Probe: Swords, Sorcery, and Self-Rescuing Damsels

Posted on April 18, 2019 by joecrowe

Read this book. Come on. Do it. Get it at the link in the title. Are you doing it yet?

Swords, Sorcery, and Self-Rescuing Damsels

In short, this is good stuff.

This is an epic gathering of authors for a collection of sword & sorcery short stories about women, and it is an absolute thrill.

Editor Lee French’s editor’s note says everything, noting that the term “damsels in distress” reduces women to poorly-dimensioned plot points “useful as nothing more than a prize for defeating the enemy.”

“This depiction sucks,” Lee adds.

The authors here include some of my personal favorites such as Jody Lynn Nye and Dawn Vogel. Like a properly good anthology, the book will introduce you to a plethora of writers that you can consume later. In my case, Elmdea Adams, who contributed “Yendy Loves Rattlescale,” my favorite story in the collection as of this writing.

It stars a dragon. Case closed. Buy the book. There are almost two dozen other stories, but this one stars a dragon.

The only drawback: Not enough room for maps of the fantasy realms at the beginning of each story. I’ll let this one slide because the book would be about a zillion pages longer. You have to make sacrifices sometimes.

All the stories are old-fashioned fantasy tales, and I mean that as a compliment. They’re cathartic, empowering, and frequently just plain hilarious.