Welcome to The Wonderful Books of Oz!

You don’t need a cyclone to visit Oz. Instead, you can visit the magical land of Munchkins and talking lions each week. Hang out with old friends—Dorothy and Toto, of course, and all of their companions—and meet new ones, including Ozma, TikTok of Oz (really!), and so many more. And take a look back at one of the first fantasy novel series written for children.

By subscribing to this Substack, you’ll get the latest chapter of a wide, wonderful, and weird series of stories.

Why Oz?

L. Frank Baum wrote 14 Oz novels over 100 years ago—well before the Lord of the Rings or the Narnia series. At a time when very few people were writing books for children, he created the world of Oz, a strange and complex place filled with unusual creatures and magic.

But despite their age, the novels are still fun, and much like Alice in Wonderland, they can still be a joy to read in the 21st century.

I wanted to share these novels on Substack because I don’t think enough people read the Oz books today, and that makes me sad. As a kid first introduced to the Wizard of Oz on TV, I was excited to discover all the other stories. So I hope with this Substack I can introduce these books to a new audience who will join me on a weekly journey to Oz, perhaps over lunch or just before bed.

What can a reader expect?

My plan is to serialize the first book in the series, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and then continue with subsequent books in order of publication.

Each week you will receive a new chapter in your inbox (or in the Substack app). From time to time, I may also share my thoughts on the current novel, or a bit of history, on my personal Substack Story Cauldron, so I invite you to subscribe to that as well.