Even after his death, his publishers kept the series going and 26 more official books by Ruth Thompson and other completed the series!ĭid you know that the original story written at the tail end of the 19th century? (1). Frank Baum in 1900 but in reality, Baum wrote 14 Oz stories, as well as stories either directly or indirectly related to the Oz series. Many people are only aware of the original Wizard of Oz story that written by L. Frank Baum (1856-1919).Guess what? Not only can you enjoy the Wizard of Oz books, but in addition to that, you can consider them an investment just like you can with other collectibles. Not only was he able to cover a whole lot of ground within the confines of the children’s literary genre (a genre that he, without a doubt, revolutionized), he was able to do so in a continuously inventive, captivating, and endearing way, while also predicting a number of technological trends that would soon take place in the ensuing years. In all seriousness, I have been genuinely impressed with Baum’s range throughout this series.

I only wish you could hear me saying all of this right now. “Throw another shrimp on the barbee” Australia. Australia as in “crikey, mate” Australia. No, what is most interesting is that the story starts out.in Australia. That is not, however, what is most interesting about this book. Now, this book is fairly well-known for having one of the first instances of a sentient humanoid automaton (or robot, if brevity is more your thing) in literature (far from the best instance, however - that title belongs to none other than Marvin, the Paranoid Android.but we’ll go ahead and give this one 42nd place ) in the character of Tik-Tok (not to be confused with the ridiculous social media platform that everyone and their mother seems to be obsessed with, confirming only that I have become a bitter, old man when it comes to these sorts of things). Don’t sweat it, though it happens to the best of us (believe me).Īnyhoo, back to the review (aw yeah, DJ bring that back). Then, you can kiss those dollar store instincts goodbye.

Unless, of course, you are dating a woman with expensive taste. Frank Baum and I had so much in common? Next thing you know, he will be showing off his collection of rare Yusef Lateef LPs and telling people about how, if you just go out and grab a handful of seasonings and spices from the grocery store, you will never have to go to a restaurant again. You want them to have no idea what’s going on.Īt least, this has always been my approach. They won’t know what’s going on! And that’s exactly what you want to happen to your readers when writing a story. Now here’s an interesting take on the whole Oz franchise - hey, let’s still throw “of Oz” in the title, but have almost none of the story take place in Oz.

Ozma of oz l frank baum