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Nightside #12.8 - Dorothy's Dream
New Tales from the Emerald City and Beyond
When L. Frank Baum introduced Dorothy and friends to the American public in 1900, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz became an instant, bestselling hit. Today the whimsical tale remains a cultural phenomenon that continues to spawn wildly popular books, movies, and musicals. Now, editors John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen have brought together leading fantasy writers such as Orson Scott Card and Seanan McGuire to create the ultimate anthology for Oz fans—and, really, any reader with an appetite for richly imagined worlds.
Stories include: Seanan McGuire’s “Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust” finds Dorothy grown up, bitter, and still living in Oz. And she has a murder to solve—assuming Ozma will stop interfering with her life long enough to let her do her job. In “Blown Away,” Jane Yolen asks: What if Toto was dead and stuffed, Ozma was a circus freak, and everything you thought you knew as Oz was really right here in Kansas? “The Cobbler of Oz” by Jonathan Maberry explores a Winged Monkey with wings too small to let her fly. Her only chance to change that rests with the Silver Slippers. In Tad Williams’s futuristic “The Boy Detective of Oz,” Orlando investigates the corrupt Oz simulation of the Otherland network. Frank Baum’s son has the real experiences that his father later fictionalized in Orson Scott Card’s “Off to See the Emperor.”
Some stories are dystopian... Some are dreamlike... All are undeniably Oz.
***
No stranger to Oz reinvention himself, Wicked author Gregory Maguire provides the foreword to these outstanding modern stories inspired by the enchanting Land of Oz.
Stories include: Seanan McGuire’s “Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust” finds Dorothy grown up, bitter, and still living in Oz. And she has a murder to solve—assuming Ozma will stop interfering with her life long enough to let her do her job. In “Blown Away,” Jane Yolen asks: What if Toto was dead and stuffed, Ozma was a circus freak, and everything you thought you knew as Oz was really right here in Kansas? “The Cobbler of Oz” by Jonathan Maberry explores a Winged Monkey with wings too small to let her fly. Her only chance to change that rests with the Silver Slippers. In Tad Williams’s futuristic “The Boy Detective of Oz,” Orlando investigates the corrupt Oz simulation of the Otherland network. Frank Baum’s son has the real experiences that his father later fictionalized in Orson Scott Card’s “Off to See the Emperor.”
Some stories are dystopian... Some are dreamlike... All are undeniably Oz.
***
No stranger to Oz reinvention himself, Wicked author Gregory Maguire provides the foreword to these outstanding modern stories inspired by the enchanting Land of Oz.
365 pages, Paperback
First published February 26, 2013
71 people are currently reading
1747 people want to read
About the author
John Joseph Adams
367 books984 followersJohn Joseph Adams is the series editor of BEST AMERICAN SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY. He is also the bestselling editor of many other anthologies, such as ROBOT UPRISINGS, DEAD MAN'S HAND, BRAVE NEW WORLDS,WASTELANDS, and THE LIVING DEAD. Recent and forthcoming books include WHAT THE #@&% IS THAT?, OPERATION ARCANA, PRESS START TO PLAY, LOOSED UPON THE WORLD, and THE APOCALYPSE TRIPTYCH (consisting of THE END IS NIGH, THE END IS NOW, and THE END HAS COME). Called “the reigning king of the anthology world” by Barnes & Noble, John is a two-time winner of the Hugo Award (for which he has been nominated nine times), is a seven-time World Fantasy Award finalist, and served as a judge for the 2015 National Book Award. John is also the editor and publisher of the digital magazines LIGHTSPEED and NIGHTMARE, and is a producer for Wired's THE GEEK'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY podcast. You can find him online at www.johnjosephadams.com and on Twitter @JohnJosephAdams.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
January 3, 2018
There were several strong stories here, but more weak ones. However, the real disappointment for me was how few did anything unpredictable or new with the concept of Oz. Pretty much all of them too obvious approaches or twists that anyone could brainstorm in a few minutes given the task. Pretty much all the stories fell into one of these categories:
-Science fiction. Instead of magic, the "magical" elements are accomplished by some sort of advanced technology.
-Non-fantasy. The Oz main characters are replaced by ordinary people with related names or characteristics (like a girl who is dumb and named Crow because she has crow tats). Often in these stories there is mental illness.
-It Was All A Metaphor. For growing up or not wanting to grow up, or for politics or religion.
However, I did enjoy a number of stories, including, to my surprise, the one by Orson Scott Card. I think this may be the first time I have ever liked Card. Other stories I liked:
"A Tornado of Dorothys" by Kat Howard was interesting enough that I will check out more of her writing.
"Dead Blue by David Farland was intriguing, although it felt more like a snippet of a longer project, which is always a little frustrating.
Ken Liu's "Veiled Shanghai" was both an interesting historical shift and a unique play on the parallel worlds trope.
My least favorites, which are predictable if you know me, and the ones where the magic and color is stripped away and the characters reset as ordinary people in an ordinary, crappy world. Jane Yolen's pitiable little impoverished orphan with her dead dog, Robin Wasserman's institutionalized teens, Simon Green's sad (although surprisingly sensitive, compared to what I'm used to from him) meditation on old age and decline.
Story notable for having extremes of good and bad: Tad Williams' "The Boy Detective of Oz" appears to be a crossover with his Otherlands series and doesn't make a ton of sense if you haven't read that. Apparently it is sci-fi with advanced computer simulations, but also there are ghosts, and the Grail Quest is involved somehow? wtf? Also, Williams' writing seems quite flat, which I hadn't noticed in his novels, but I was in middle school then and I maybe not so critical. I did like that he incorporated a lot of minor elements from the books instead of just the first book (seriously, a bunch of these authors may have just watched the movie, for all I could tell) and seemed to actually care about Baum's world. I was slightly confused, thinking he was also connecting with The Dead Boy Detectives, but apparently he just used that name for his character.
Recommended for: Eh. If you like some of these authors, I guess check out their stories. Given the variety of genres I doubt any one read will like all the stories. It doesn't seem to be aimed especially at Oz aficionados, and very few stories rely on the reader knowing any details beyond the basic set up and characters of the first Oz book.
-Science fiction. Instead of magic, the "magical" elements are accomplished by some sort of advanced technology.
-Non-fantasy. The Oz main characters are replaced by ordinary people with related names or characteristics (like a girl who is dumb and named Crow because she has crow tats). Often in these stories there is mental illness.
-It Was All A Metaphor. For growing up or not wanting to grow up, or for politics or religion.
However, I did enjoy a number of stories, including, to my surprise, the one by Orson Scott Card. I think this may be the first time I have ever liked Card. Other stories I liked:
"A Tornado of Dorothys" by Kat Howard was interesting enough that I will check out more of her writing.
"Dead Blue by David Farland was intriguing, although it felt more like a snippet of a longer project, which is always a little frustrating.
Ken Liu's "Veiled Shanghai" was both an interesting historical shift and a unique play on the parallel worlds trope.
My least favorites, which are predictable if you know me, and the ones where the magic and color is stripped away and the characters reset as ordinary people in an ordinary, crappy world. Jane Yolen's pitiable little impoverished orphan with her dead dog, Robin Wasserman's institutionalized teens, Simon Green's sad (although surprisingly sensitive, compared to what I'm used to from him) meditation on old age and decline.
Story notable for having extremes of good and bad: Tad Williams' "The Boy Detective of Oz" appears to be a crossover with his Otherlands series and doesn't make a ton of sense if you haven't read that. Apparently it is sci-fi with advanced computer simulations, but also there are ghosts, and the Grail Quest is involved somehow? wtf? Also, Williams' writing seems quite flat, which I hadn't noticed in his novels, but I was in middle school then and I maybe not so critical. I did like that he incorporated a lot of minor elements from the books instead of just the first book (seriously, a bunch of these authors may have just watched the movie, for all I could tell) and seemed to actually care about Baum's world. I was slightly confused, thinking he was also connecting with The Dead Boy Detectives, but apparently he just used that name for his character.
Recommended for: Eh. If you like some of these authors, I guess check out their stories. Given the variety of genres I doubt any one read will like all the stories. It doesn't seem to be aimed especially at Oz aficionados, and very few stories rely on the reader knowing any details beyond the basic set up and characters of the first Oz book.
December 29, 2015
I struggled with this anthology at first. Don't get me wrong - I almost always love the JJA anthologies and own several. I blame myself for never reading the original Oz books. I've always meant to and wanted to but never got around to it, so my only experience is through the movies of the Wizard of Oz and Return to Oz. I know that the original book had emerald glasses, but I don't know any of the other characters, back history, weird details, etc. So it made it hard for me to know which of the ideas in these stories were borrowed and magnified from the original, and which were unique to the contributors. This is all on me, but the best readers to enjoy this anthology will know Oz the way Baum intended it before digging into it reimagined.
Now I really want to read the Oz books. But first, comments on the stories in this volume! The basic premise is the Oz story or characters or setting - reimagined into something new. The authors, well-known for stories in science fiction and fantasy, all go in slightly different directions.
One of my favorites was "Dorothy Dreams" by Simon R. Green. The first line:
"Dorothy had a bad dream. She dreamed she grew up and grew old, and her children put her in a home. And then she woke up and found it was all real. There's no place like a rest home."
Ha! That made me laugh, but after I was done laughing, I enjoyed the bittersweet story very much.
A similar premise was "One Flew Over the Rainbow" by Robin Wasserman, which I think Baum would have liked, considering the veins of insanity that seem to underlie some of the original story (from what I understand). The reference should be obvious, I think.
In "The Veiled Shanghai" by Ken Liu, the story is about Shanghai revolutionaries, with the same characters. I liked this spin, but I wish it had slightly less of a "The City and the City" premise. He also included paper animals like in his short story, "The Paper Menagerie." It also had a silly line (many of them make references like this) that said "I'm certainly not on Kansu Road anymore." Har har har.
Another favorite, even though it also utilizes the simultaneous city idea, is "Off to See the Emperor" by Orson Scott Card, which suggests the basis for the entire world, in a real town in Kansas that also had an Emperor of the Air.
This isn't all the ideas. Other stories feature tornados employed for even worse purposes, Dorothy becoming a witch, girl detectives, murder cases, cyborgs, automotons, steampunk, and some stories from the perspectives of minor characters - a cobbler, a window washer, a farmhand. This is definitely an enjoyable read. The more you know Oz, the better.
Now I really want to read the Oz books. But first, comments on the stories in this volume! The basic premise is the Oz story or characters or setting - reimagined into something new. The authors, well-known for stories in science fiction and fantasy, all go in slightly different directions.
One of my favorites was "Dorothy Dreams" by Simon R. Green. The first line:
"Dorothy had a bad dream. She dreamed she grew up and grew old, and her children put her in a home. And then she woke up and found it was all real. There's no place like a rest home."
Ha! That made me laugh, but after I was done laughing, I enjoyed the bittersweet story very much.
A similar premise was "One Flew Over the Rainbow" by Robin Wasserman, which I think Baum would have liked, considering the veins of insanity that seem to underlie some of the original story (from what I understand). The reference should be obvious, I think.
In "The Veiled Shanghai" by Ken Liu, the story is about Shanghai revolutionaries, with the same characters. I liked this spin, but I wish it had slightly less of a "The City and the City" premise. He also included paper animals like in his short story, "The Paper Menagerie." It also had a silly line (many of them make references like this) that said "I'm certainly not on Kansu Road anymore." Har har har.
Another favorite, even though it also utilizes the simultaneous city idea, is "Off to See the Emperor" by Orson Scott Card, which suggests the basis for the entire world, in a real town in Kansas that also had an Emperor of the Air.
This isn't all the ideas. Other stories feature tornados employed for even worse purposes, Dorothy becoming a witch, girl detectives, murder cases, cyborgs, automotons, steampunk, and some stories from the perspectives of minor characters - a cobbler, a window washer, a farmhand. This is definitely an enjoyable read. The more you know Oz, the better.
May 16, 2014
I can't help but feel fortunate each time I open my front door to find the tell-tale rectangular shaped package that promises to contain a book. It's a promise of a new story, a new adventure, and I look forward to opening the book and diving in.
Last month, I found one such package containing Oz Reimagined: New Tales from the Emerald City and Beyond,
edited by John Joseph Adams
and Douglas Cohen, with illustrations by Galen Dara. In 2011 I had read and enjoyed Brave New Worlds (Dystopian Stories)
, also edited by Adams, and I had been impressed by the mix of short stories.
Featuring a foreword by Gregory Maguire, each story in the collection is inspired by Frank Baum's Oz, (in contrast to the Oz of Judy Garland fame). However, as the editors note in the introduction, the authors were not asked to revisit Oz, but rather to reimagine it. The result is a collection of stories that are colorful, occasionally sad, often delightful, and always creative.
You don't necessarily need to buy the full collection to read a particular story by an author you follow. Each is available on Amazon in electronic format for individual reading, as well as in the full collection.
The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz by Rae Carson and C.C. Finlay
: witty and humorous, this tale sees the wizard arriving in Oz to rename it after himself and court the Wicked Witch...with unexpected results.
Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust by Seanan McGuire
: Dorothy is quite different from Garland's depiction--a detective in a dark and earthly Oz, looking for a killer.
Lost Girls of Oz by Theodora Goss
: Fun and fanciful, told in a series of letters from a reporter who investigates girls disappearing into Oz.
The Boy Detective of Oz: An Otherland Story by Tad Williams
: Set in Williams' Otherland world, this story is a whodunit that ties up nicely.
Dorothy Dreams by Simon R. Green
: We catch up with Dorothy in her later years, on death's door. Not my favorite in the collection because it seems to solve problems too easily.
Dead Blue by David Farland
: One of the shortest tales in the collection, but the writing is precise and the emotions are poignant as we see an Oz that is driven by advance technology rather than magic. Of all the stories, this is the one I most wanted to see expanded into novel length.
One Flew Over the Rainbow by Robin Wasserman
: As the title echoes, this story takes place in a mental hospital and felt tragic and sad.
The Veiled Shanghai by Ken Lu
: What if Dorothy lived in pre-revolutionary Shanghai?
Beyond the Naked Eye by Rachel Swirsky
: In a clever and satisfying reimagining, Oz echoes of The Hunger Games.
A Tornado of Dorothys by Kat Howards
: In this dark and horror tinged tale, Oz is a shadowed world full of ghosts that only Dorothy can release.
Blown Away by Jane Yolen
: Back in Kansas, Dorothy is missed, until one day she suddenly reappears. A little weird, for me.
City So Bright by Dale Bailey
: All is not well in Denmark...or in Oz.
Off to See the Emperor by Orson Scott Card
: This Oz origin story might fit well in one of Steven Spielburg's Amazing Stories episodes.
A Meeting in Oz by Jeffery Ford
: Life after Oz wasn't so kind to Dorothy, and she returns to settle a score.
The Cobbler of Oz by Jonathan Maberry
: A young, lame Winged Monkey finds herselfin possession of some magic slippers and embarks on a quest that will change Oz forever. A beautiful story and without a doubt, my favorite in the collection.
Last month, I found one such package containing Oz Reimagined: New Tales from the Emerald City and Beyond,
edited by John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen, with illustrations by Galen Dara. In 2011 I had read and enjoyed Brave New Worlds (Dystopian Stories), also edited by Adams, and I had been impressed by the mix of short stories.Featuring a foreword by Gregory Maguire, each story in the collection is inspired by Frank Baum's Oz, (in contrast to the Oz of Judy Garland fame). However, as the editors note in the introduction, the authors were not asked to revisit Oz, but rather to reimagine it. The result is a collection of stories that are colorful, occasionally sad, often delightful, and always creative.
You don't necessarily need to buy the full collection to read a particular story by an author you follow. Each is available on Amazon in electronic format for individual reading, as well as in the full collection.
The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz by Rae Carson and C.C. Finlay
: witty and humorous, this tale sees the wizard arriving in Oz to rename it after himself and court the Wicked Witch...with unexpected results. Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust by Seanan McGuire
: Dorothy is quite different from Garland's depiction--a detective in a dark and earthly Oz, looking for a killer. Lost Girls of Oz by Theodora Goss
: Fun and fanciful, told in a series of letters from a reporter who investigates girls disappearing into Oz. The Boy Detective of Oz: An Otherland Story by Tad Williams
: Set in Williams' Otherland world, this story is a whodunit that ties up nicely. Dorothy Dreams by Simon R. Green
: We catch up with Dorothy in her later years, on death's door. Not my favorite in the collection because it seems to solve problems too easily. Dead Blue by David Farland
: One of the shortest tales in the collection, but the writing is precise and the emotions are poignant as we see an Oz that is driven by advance technology rather than magic. Of all the stories, this is the one I most wanted to see expanded into novel length. One Flew Over the Rainbow by Robin Wasserman
: As the title echoes, this story takes place in a mental hospital and felt tragic and sad. The Veiled Shanghai by Ken Lu
: What if Dorothy lived in pre-revolutionary Shanghai? Beyond the Naked Eye by Rachel Swirsky
: In a clever and satisfying reimagining, Oz echoes of The Hunger Games. A Tornado of Dorothys by Kat Howards
: In this dark and horror tinged tale, Oz is a shadowed world full of ghosts that only Dorothy can release. Blown Away by Jane Yolen
: Back in Kansas, Dorothy is missed, until one day she suddenly reappears. A little weird, for me. City So Bright by Dale Bailey
: All is not well in Denmark...or in Oz. Off to See the Emperor by Orson Scott Card
: This Oz origin story might fit well in one of Steven Spielburg's Amazing Stories episodes. A Meeting in Oz by Jeffery Ford
: Life after Oz wasn't so kind to Dorothy, and she returns to settle a score. The Cobbler of Oz by Jonathan Maberry
: A young, lame Winged Monkey finds herselfin possession of some magic slippers and embarks on a quest that will change Oz forever. A beautiful story and without a doubt, my favorite in the collection. 
February 6, 2013
This and all of my reviews can be found at: http://www.chicksgetlit.com/
The stories in this book range from about 10 pages to around 20 or so (give or take a few). How age appropriate they are vary. Their settings and style all vary. The one thing they all have in common though, is they're loving tributes to Oz, in their own ways. As is the case with anthologies, you'll surely like some stories better than others. I found myself wishing for more of some of them and less of others. That said, I found this more enjoyable than most anthologies, which tend to be so hit or miss leaving me liking only one or two stories. I thought every story here was at least okay while others were amazing. Some you could share with anyone, including kids, while others are for the adults only. While there is variety here, I think most Oz fans will be happy.
The stories are as follows:
- The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz by Rae Carson and C.C. Finlay
This is the story of Oscar Diggs (aka Oz, since he finds extra syllables a waste of time), a man who crashes his balloon into a strange land. Strange because it's ruled by women and he feels they need a king. But he has his balloons and a plan for progress! - Appropriate for all ages.
- Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust by Seanan McGuire
Dorothy, the wicked witch of the west, is called upon by her ex-girlfriend Ozma Empress of Oz to deal with a murder as one of her people is believed to have caused it (her people being the cross-overs aka not natural born Ozites). - This one gets a warning for more sensitive readers - Dorothy is a lesbian (no sex scenes), there are drugs, a death, and cursing.
- Lost Girls of Oz by Theodora Goss
Nell Dale, girl reporter, is assigned the task of getting to the bottom of the story of a missing girl. What she finds is that Oz might still be open for business as a shelter for girls in need of help. She's not sure that she trusts that story though, so she goes undercover to find out for sure. - Relatively safe for all ages despite talk of a war, girls being abused, and a fight scene. None of it is very graphic.
- The Boy Detective of Oz: An Otherland Story by Tad Williams
Orlando has been summoned to Kansas. He'll just check on things to be sure everything is okay. A dead body, that is not okay. But no one died in Oz, no one dies in Kansas. That's not how the simworld works. Right? - The only real warning here would be there's some cursing.
- Dorothy Dreams by Simon R. Green
Dorothy has grown old. Her children have put her in a home, not even in Kansas. All she has now is dreams that a cyclone will come and take her back to Oz, though there are none where she now resides. - Perfect for all ages.
- Dead Blue by David Farland
Technomagic rules. The wizard has made promises, but he's nothing more than a charlatan. Never fear though, the wicked witch has pushed Dorothy too far - if she kills the witch, she'll become a witch and gain her powers, making it possible to use technomagic to grant their own wishes - some of them anyway. - Some minor violence and language that hints at cursing, but doesn't actually follow through.
- One Flew Over the Rainbow by Robin Wasswerman
Crow named them all. Tin. Roar. Dorothy was always just Dorothy. They all met on Dr. Glind's medical ward. Not everyone can make it home. - Some strong language and sexual content.
- The Veiled Shanghai by Ken Liu
It's 1919 and fourteen year old Dorothy Gee has mysteriously found herself in a Shanghai not quite like her own. If she can find the great wizard, maybe he'll help her get home. But who is Oz? - Some talk of drug use and once a less than polite term is thrown at Dorothy (not quite cursing but not a word you'd want to explain to a wee one).
- Beyond the Naked Eye by Rachel Swirsky
Ten contestants. One will have their wish granted by the wizard. That's what he claims anyway. Others aren't so sure. One thing seems certain - not everyone in Oz will get a happy ending. - Should be safe for all ages.
- A Tornado of Dorothys by Kat Howard
The story must go on! This time it's missing a Dorothy. Maybe a real Dorothy will help. - Good for all ages.
- Blown Away by Jane Yolen
Dorothy and the house are blown away in a storm, but where did they land? Will she ever be found? Are any of the predicitions about how her life ended up true or did she simply die? - Safe for all ages.
- City So Bright by Dale Bailey
Life isn't easy down under Emerald city. Especially not for the Munchkins who polish the Emerald. Oh, they're not slaves, there's just nowhere else for them to go. Would someone kill them for thinking about organizing though? - Strong language and some sexual context
- Off to See the Emperor by Orson Scott Card
1889: Frank Joslyn Baum, son of L. Frank Baum starts first grade where he meets slightly older Dotty who teaches him how to see things and places that others do not. - Safe for all ages
-A Meeting In Oz by Jeffrey Ford
The last time that Dorothy went to Oz she was much older, she was armed, and she was just flat out tired after a disappointing life. Oz, well, it's not so cheery either. - Nothing is graphically described but there's hints of sex and violence.
- The Cobbler of Oz by Jonathan Maberry
Bucklebelt is a cobbler who knows what he's doing, which a good thing as Nyla, the flying Monkey needs a special kind of shoe. and Buckbelt needs someone special to help him with a pair of shoes - Safe for all ages.
* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like so as not to waste my time.
The stories in this book range from about 10 pages to around 20 or so (give or take a few). How age appropriate they are vary. Their settings and style all vary. The one thing they all have in common though, is they're loving tributes to Oz, in their own ways. As is the case with anthologies, you'll surely like some stories better than others. I found myself wishing for more of some of them and less of others. That said, I found this more enjoyable than most anthologies, which tend to be so hit or miss leaving me liking only one or two stories. I thought every story here was at least okay while others were amazing. Some you could share with anyone, including kids, while others are for the adults only. While there is variety here, I think most Oz fans will be happy.
The stories are as follows:
- The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz by Rae Carson and C.C. Finlay
This is the story of Oscar Diggs (aka Oz, since he finds extra syllables a waste of time), a man who crashes his balloon into a strange land. Strange because it's ruled by women and he feels they need a king. But he has his balloons and a plan for progress! - Appropriate for all ages.
- Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust by Seanan McGuire
Dorothy, the wicked witch of the west, is called upon by her ex-girlfriend Ozma Empress of Oz to deal with a murder as one of her people is believed to have caused it (her people being the cross-overs aka not natural born Ozites). - This one gets a warning for more sensitive readers - Dorothy is a lesbian (no sex scenes), there are drugs, a death, and cursing.
- Lost Girls of Oz by Theodora Goss
Nell Dale, girl reporter, is assigned the task of getting to the bottom of the story of a missing girl. What she finds is that Oz might still be open for business as a shelter for girls in need of help. She's not sure that she trusts that story though, so she goes undercover to find out for sure. - Relatively safe for all ages despite talk of a war, girls being abused, and a fight scene. None of it is very graphic.
- The Boy Detective of Oz: An Otherland Story by Tad Williams
Orlando has been summoned to Kansas. He'll just check on things to be sure everything is okay. A dead body, that is not okay. But no one died in Oz, no one dies in Kansas. That's not how the simworld works. Right? - The only real warning here would be there's some cursing.
- Dorothy Dreams by Simon R. Green
Dorothy has grown old. Her children have put her in a home, not even in Kansas. All she has now is dreams that a cyclone will come and take her back to Oz, though there are none where she now resides. - Perfect for all ages.
- Dead Blue by David Farland
Technomagic rules. The wizard has made promises, but he's nothing more than a charlatan. Never fear though, the wicked witch has pushed Dorothy too far - if she kills the witch, she'll become a witch and gain her powers, making it possible to use technomagic to grant their own wishes - some of them anyway. - Some minor violence and language that hints at cursing, but doesn't actually follow through.
- One Flew Over the Rainbow by Robin Wasswerman
Crow named them all. Tin. Roar. Dorothy was always just Dorothy. They all met on Dr. Glind's medical ward. Not everyone can make it home. - Some strong language and sexual content.
- The Veiled Shanghai by Ken Liu
It's 1919 and fourteen year old Dorothy Gee has mysteriously found herself in a Shanghai not quite like her own. If she can find the great wizard, maybe he'll help her get home. But who is Oz? - Some talk of drug use and once a less than polite term is thrown at Dorothy (not quite cursing but not a word you'd want to explain to a wee one).
- Beyond the Naked Eye by Rachel Swirsky
Ten contestants. One will have their wish granted by the wizard. That's what he claims anyway. Others aren't so sure. One thing seems certain - not everyone in Oz will get a happy ending. - Should be safe for all ages.
- A Tornado of Dorothys by Kat Howard
The story must go on! This time it's missing a Dorothy. Maybe a real Dorothy will help. - Good for all ages.
- Blown Away by Jane Yolen
Dorothy and the house are blown away in a storm, but where did they land? Will she ever be found? Are any of the predicitions about how her life ended up true or did she simply die? - Safe for all ages.
- City So Bright by Dale Bailey
Life isn't easy down under Emerald city. Especially not for the Munchkins who polish the Emerald. Oh, they're not slaves, there's just nowhere else for them to go. Would someone kill them for thinking about organizing though? - Strong language and some sexual context
- Off to See the Emperor by Orson Scott Card
1889: Frank Joslyn Baum, son of L. Frank Baum starts first grade where he meets slightly older Dotty who teaches him how to see things and places that others do not. - Safe for all ages
-A Meeting In Oz by Jeffrey Ford
The last time that Dorothy went to Oz she was much older, she was armed, and she was just flat out tired after a disappointing life. Oz, well, it's not so cheery either. - Nothing is graphically described but there's hints of sex and violence.
- The Cobbler of Oz by Jonathan Maberry
Bucklebelt is a cobbler who knows what he's doing, which a good thing as Nyla, the flying Monkey needs a special kind of shoe. and Buckbelt needs someone special to help him with a pair of shoes - Safe for all ages.
* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like so as not to waste my time.
March 25, 2013
I'll be honest: I wasn't going to read this book. I've been a fan of Oz for too long to want to try to keep up with every new take on Dorothy and the Wizard. And, frankly, I'm tired, too. I didn't really want another retelling, another reinterpretation, another re-imagining. I want more Oz stories. Pure and simple. And this book is not that.
But I ended up reading it anyway. Because each of these authors, while re-whatevering their particular, individual, Oz stories, still gets it. They understand what it means to have that magic land in the back of your mind. They know that moment of impossible hope that surges with every cyclone, with every wrong turn, with every strange and mysterious figure that lurches over the horizon. They miss Oz, you see. And they'll get back there any way they can, even if they have to write it themselves.
The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz by Rae Carson and C.C. Finlay
Following the idea that the Great and Powerful Oz is really nothing more than a lucky con-man from Nebraska, this story shows that all it takes to con a con-man is to let him be himself. And maybe a few winged monkeys. 3/5
Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust by Seanan McGuire
Dorothy is now the Ambassador to an increasingly hostile and dystopian Oz. Her ex, Ozma, bullies Dorothy into going to the Undercity, where someone has been murdered. Loved this one, want to read more. 5/5
Lost Girls of Oz by Theodora Gross
Where have all the girls been disappearing to? Letters home from a girl reporter who has stolen into Oz to get the scoop tell the story, and it's a doozy. 4/5
The Boy Detective of Oz: An Otherland Story by Tad Williams
This is probably the first actual Oz story in the collection. Take away the trappings of the fictional world within a giant computer system that is Otherland, and what you're left with is a young man trying to solve a mystery with the aid of the Glass Cat and assorted other Ozites. 4/5
Dorothy Dreams by Simon R. Green
A bittersweet story about the true meaning of Oz and the myriad ways in which one gets there. 3/5
Dead Blue by David Farland
Arguably a cyberpunk story, from the view of the Tin Man, Dead Blue takes us through a hyper-abbreviated version of the classic story and shows us the darkness within it. 3/5
One Flew Over the Rainbow by Robin Wasserman
Nothing quite like a mash-up to show how themes are eternal and ever-present in everything we read, this story is, as the title suggests, Oz as the delusions shared and experienced by patients in a mental ward. And just like those other stories, this one too, is haunting. 5/5
The Veiled Shanghai by Ken Liu
Essentially, this is a faithful adaptation of the familiar Dorothy goes to Oz story, transplanted and transliterated to the Shanghai of the Boxer Rebellion. Although some of the concepts are clever, overall, this one didn't do much for me. 2/5
Beyond the Naked Eye by Rachel Swirsky
In this story, we are shown Oz as a game show as a front for a revolution as a reason to expose a false wizard. While the story is good, I found myself wishing that Ms. Swirsky had taken the first angle, the t.v. game show and run a little bit further with it. 3/5
A Tornado of Dorothys by Kat Howard
This is another story that didn't quite work for me. The idea is clear enough - home is what and where we make it, regardless of tornadoes, yellow brick roads, or the will of witches, but it was a little short and focused far more heavily on atmosphere than on characterization. 2/5
Blown Away by Jane Yolen
Somewhat unexpectedly, this one got me, right at the end. Prior to that it was just the familiar Oz story, only told from the point of view of Tom the Woodsman, who worked on Uncle Henry's farm. Then it became a story about bittersweet goodbyes and I wished it wasn't ending. 4/5
City So Bright by Dale Bailey
Who built the Emerald City? Who maintains it? This story takes those questions on and comes back with answers that are understandable and sad. 4/5
Off to See the Emperor by Orson Scott Card
It's hard to separate the author from the work sometimes; as I came to this story, the author's controversial political views hit the news again, making it hard to keep the story contained within itself. It's not a bad story, but one can only assume that the author would dislike certain other stories in the collection based purely on the sexual orientation of the characters. I might have enjoyed the story more if I had been able to keep such speculations from intruding on my reading. 2/5
A Meeting in Oz by Jeffrey Ford
Dorothy returns to Oz, after all is said and done to find one more answer. 3/5
The Cobbler of Oz by Johathan Maberry
Of all the stories in this collection, this was the only one that felt like the true Oz story I had been hoping for. This tale of a Winged Monkey girl whose wings are too small and the kindly cobbler that sent her on a magical quest, was full of gentle good humor and wonder that made it a delight to read. Right up to the end when the story's true intent is revealed. 5/5
August 25, 2016
Overall I really enjoyed this book. There are some really great stories in this collection. I loved the art work that accompanied each story, a cover art if you will. That said there are a few things that bothered me.
First, I’m sure some of these authors haven’t read any of the OZ books beyond The Wizard of OZ. Now normally, I could care less whether someone has read beyond the first book in a series, but when you’re writing a short story for a book about OZ, I think it’s a little important to do your research. The best stories in the collection were the ones where I could tell the author knew OZ and its denizens very well. The ones that weren’t so successful, at least for me, were the ones where I could tell the author was only familiar with OZ in the briefest of sense: stories where I couldn’t tell if the author had done any research beyond watching the movie and reading a wiki page about the differences.
Secondly, there were far too many re-imaginings of the Wizard of OZ. As in complete retellings of that story in different settings. The Wizard of OZ in a mental hospital, as a cyberpunk story, ‘the real untold story of the Wizard of OZ, etc. It got old, particularly when the stories were back to back. I think it wouldn’t have been quite so noticeable, and thus annoying, if the re-imagined stories had been better interspersed throughout the book with the stories that built on OZ. Orson Scott Card’s story ‘Off to See the Emperor’, one of the reimagined ones bothered me a lot, a lot. From Amazon: Frank Baum's son has the real experiences that his father later fictionalized. Way to take a story that features a girl and make it about a boy there Card.
A couple of standout stories though. My absolute favorite, and a great way to end the book, was ‘The Cobbler of OZ’ by Jonathon Mayberry. It was sweet and lovely, with just the right amount of menace behind the story. Plus it could fit very easily into the OZ cannon as a story that only just pre-dates The Wizard of OZ. I adored it. I also really enjoyed Tad William’s ‘Boy Detective of OZ’. This was a more cyber-punk story, but it wasn’t a re-telling of OZ it was a real re-imagined version of OZ. Plus it featured one of my favorite OZites, The Glass Cat. I liked a ‘Tornado of Dorothys’, though that was one where I wasn’t sure if the author had read any of the OZ books, because it was a kind of ghostly, haunted look at story telling.
Overall, I’d re-read this collection, though I’d skip over some of the stories. Great addition to the OZ world.
First, I’m sure some of these authors haven’t read any of the OZ books beyond The Wizard of OZ. Now normally, I could care less whether someone has read beyond the first book in a series, but when you’re writing a short story for a book about OZ, I think it’s a little important to do your research. The best stories in the collection were the ones where I could tell the author knew OZ and its denizens very well. The ones that weren’t so successful, at least for me, were the ones where I could tell the author was only familiar with OZ in the briefest of sense: stories where I couldn’t tell if the author had done any research beyond watching the movie and reading a wiki page about the differences.
Secondly, there were far too many re-imaginings of the Wizard of OZ. As in complete retellings of that story in different settings. The Wizard of OZ in a mental hospital, as a cyberpunk story, ‘the real untold story of the Wizard of OZ, etc. It got old, particularly when the stories were back to back. I think it wouldn’t have been quite so noticeable, and thus annoying, if the re-imagined stories had been better interspersed throughout the book with the stories that built on OZ. Orson Scott Card’s story ‘Off to See the Emperor’, one of the reimagined ones bothered me a lot, a lot. From Amazon: Frank Baum's son has the real experiences that his father later fictionalized. Way to take a story that features a girl and make it about a boy there Card.
A couple of standout stories though. My absolute favorite, and a great way to end the book, was ‘The Cobbler of OZ’ by Jonathon Mayberry. It was sweet and lovely, with just the right amount of menace behind the story. Plus it could fit very easily into the OZ cannon as a story that only just pre-dates The Wizard of OZ. I adored it. I also really enjoyed Tad William’s ‘Boy Detective of OZ’. This was a more cyber-punk story, but it wasn’t a re-telling of OZ it was a real re-imagined version of OZ. Plus it featured one of my favorite OZites, The Glass Cat. I liked a ‘Tornado of Dorothys’, though that was one where I wasn’t sure if the author had read any of the OZ books, because it was a kind of ghostly, haunted look at story telling.
Overall, I’d re-read this collection, though I’d skip over some of the stories. Great addition to the OZ world.
August 13, 2013
It's always going to be difficult to rate an anthology anything other than a 3, as there are most likely going to be some stories that you love and others that don't cut the mustard. And that's exactly how I feel about Oz reimagined.
I have to admit, I've never read the original L. Frank Baum but the film is a classic that I've seen dozens of times and have also read the BFI film classic that accompanies it. I must admit, I'm tempted to go back and read the original now, as there were a number of differences that I picked up on reading these shorts. The shoes were actually silver. Who's the patchwork doll? Is Kansas across a deadly desert?
As far as highlights go, I liked the very last story the most - The Cobbler of Oz, by Jonathan Mayberry, but others worthy of note: One Flew Over The Rainbow by Robin Wasserman, The Veiled Shanghai by Ken Liu, The Boy Detective of Oz by Tad Williams, A Tornado of Dorothys by Kat Howard and Off to see the Emperor by Orson Scott Card.
None of the stories were awful although about half were not particularly memorable, a couple were extremely quick reads.
One for fans of the Wizard of Oz I reckon. And definitely if you like the winged monkeys, this collection is chock full of them.
I have to admit, I've never read the original L. Frank Baum but the film is a classic that I've seen dozens of times and have also read the BFI film classic that accompanies it. I must admit, I'm tempted to go back and read the original now, as there were a number of differences that I picked up on reading these shorts. The shoes were actually silver. Who's the patchwork doll? Is Kansas across a deadly desert?
As far as highlights go, I liked the very last story the most - The Cobbler of Oz, by Jonathan Mayberry, but others worthy of note: One Flew Over The Rainbow by Robin Wasserman, The Veiled Shanghai by Ken Liu, The Boy Detective of Oz by Tad Williams, A Tornado of Dorothys by Kat Howard and Off to see the Emperor by Orson Scott Card.
None of the stories were awful although about half were not particularly memorable, a couple were extremely quick reads.
One for fans of the Wizard of Oz I reckon. And definitely if you like the winged monkeys, this collection is chock full of them.
February 4, 2014
Oz. The mere mention of the name can conjure up images of flying monkeys, roads of yellow brick, witches (both good and wicked) and the Emerald City. For well over a century, children and adults alike have cherished L. Frank Baum’s original The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 34 sequels with 13 written by Baum and, after his death, the remaining 21 written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. Even more people have been introduced to Oz through the 1939 motion picture The Wizard of Oz, the 1985 film Return to Oz, or Oz The Great and Powerful from earlier this year. There have also been animated television series, comic books, additional books for children and adults, and theatrical productions (like The Wiz and Wicked), all owing their genesis to Baum’s stories of the land “over the rainbow.” There is no denying that The Wizard of Oz is a cultural phenomenon that crosses every barrier.
Now editors John Joseph Adams (The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination) and Douglas Cohen have gathered a new collection of short stories, from some of today’s best contemporary speculative fiction and fantasy writers, to take us, and Oz, places we may never have imagined, in Oz Reimagined: New Tales From the Emerald City and Beyond. The result is a collection that transforms the beloved Oz that we know into something surprising and unexpected and yet is still comfortable and oddly familiar.
Some of the stories of note within the collection are:
“The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz” by Raw Carson & C.C. Finlay – Oz seems to be creating a strategy against the wicked witches of Oz, but how well will his plan work when he makes his move?
“The Lost Girls of Oz” by Theodora Goss – When an intrepid girl reporter started investigating a rash of disappearing girls, how was she to know she would end up in Oz?
“Dorothy Dreams” by Simon R. Green - An elderly Dorothy reminisces about her adventures in Oz.
“One Flew Over The Rainbow” by Robin Wasserman – An Oz adventure, with all of your favorite characters, set in a mental institution.
“The Veiled Shanghai” by Ken Liu – The story of Oz seen through the events of the “May Fourth Movement” in China.
“Blown Away” by Jane Yolen – What if the Oz Dorothy visited was a circus?
“A Meeting in Oz” by Jeffrey Ford – Imagine, if you can, a noir Oz story!
"The Cobbler of Oz" by Jonathan Maberry - A young winged monkey, with wings too small for her to fly, asks a cobbler to make her a pair of travelling shoes and ends up on the adventure of a lifetime!
Oz Reimagined is a must-read for Oz aficionados, and a worthwhile one for readers with a more limited interest who nonetheless appreciate a well-told fantasy tale.
Reviewed by Daryl M., Librarian, Central Library
Now editors John Joseph Adams (The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination) and Douglas Cohen have gathered a new collection of short stories, from some of today’s best contemporary speculative fiction and fantasy writers, to take us, and Oz, places we may never have imagined, in Oz Reimagined: New Tales From the Emerald City and Beyond. The result is a collection that transforms the beloved Oz that we know into something surprising and unexpected and yet is still comfortable and oddly familiar.
Some of the stories of note within the collection are:
“The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz” by Raw Carson & C.C. Finlay – Oz seems to be creating a strategy against the wicked witches of Oz, but how well will his plan work when he makes his move?
“The Lost Girls of Oz” by Theodora Goss – When an intrepid girl reporter started investigating a rash of disappearing girls, how was she to know she would end up in Oz?
“Dorothy Dreams” by Simon R. Green - An elderly Dorothy reminisces about her adventures in Oz.
“One Flew Over The Rainbow” by Robin Wasserman – An Oz adventure, with all of your favorite characters, set in a mental institution.
“The Veiled Shanghai” by Ken Liu – The story of Oz seen through the events of the “May Fourth Movement” in China.
“Blown Away” by Jane Yolen – What if the Oz Dorothy visited was a circus?
“A Meeting in Oz” by Jeffrey Ford – Imagine, if you can, a noir Oz story!
"The Cobbler of Oz" by Jonathan Maberry - A young winged monkey, with wings too small for her to fly, asks a cobbler to make her a pair of travelling shoes and ends up on the adventure of a lifetime!
Oz Reimagined is a must-read for Oz aficionados, and a worthwhile one for readers with a more limited interest who nonetheless appreciate a well-told fantasy tale.
Reviewed by Daryl M., Librarian, Central Library
March 2, 2013
There have been many tales of Oz told over the years, but none of them, I guarantee you, quite like the fifteen stories in these pages.
Explore Oz Reimagined, and you'll find the Wizard as an unrepentant, verbose huckster in "The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz" and Dorothy cast in the role of rebellious outcast in "Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust." The story we know so well becomes a vehicle for the rise and fall of communism in China in "The Veiled Shanghai" and a fierce competition in "Beyond the Naked Eye." Tad Williams casts the mythical land of Oz as a virtual landscape of ever-shifting characters in "The Boy Detective of Oz" and Robin Wasserman crafts a terrifyingly-plausible Oz as an insane asylum in "One Flew Over the Rainbow."
Like most anthologies, Oz Reimagined is something of a mixed bag - some stories are more memorable than others while others miss the mark. Thanks to the excellent source material and some very creative imaginations, though, most of the stories come off well. For my money, "A Tornado of Dorothys" was one of the highlights, a subtly creepy yet moving tale of stories and characters and making new choices. The final story, "The Cobbler of Oz," was the perfect way to close out the collection, a heartfelt fable revealing a new angle on an old villain and the mystery of a certain pair of magical shoes.
Like a fine-cut emerald, the world of Oz has countless facets - turn it a little and see it in a whole new light. The fifteen stories in Oz Reimagined are both rare and revealing, and add new dimension to an already rare gem.
Explore Oz Reimagined, and you'll find the Wizard as an unrepentant, verbose huckster in "The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz" and Dorothy cast in the role of rebellious outcast in "Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust." The story we know so well becomes a vehicle for the rise and fall of communism in China in "The Veiled Shanghai" and a fierce competition in "Beyond the Naked Eye." Tad Williams casts the mythical land of Oz as a virtual landscape of ever-shifting characters in "The Boy Detective of Oz" and Robin Wasserman crafts a terrifyingly-plausible Oz as an insane asylum in "One Flew Over the Rainbow."
Like most anthologies, Oz Reimagined is something of a mixed bag - some stories are more memorable than others while others miss the mark. Thanks to the excellent source material and some very creative imaginations, though, most of the stories come off well. For my money, "A Tornado of Dorothys" was one of the highlights, a subtly creepy yet moving tale of stories and characters and making new choices. The final story, "The Cobbler of Oz," was the perfect way to close out the collection, a heartfelt fable revealing a new angle on an old villain and the mystery of a certain pair of magical shoes.
Like a fine-cut emerald, the world of Oz has countless facets - turn it a little and see it in a whole new light. The fifteen stories in Oz Reimagined are both rare and revealing, and add new dimension to an already rare gem.
February 24, 2015
I’ve always only just liked the Wizard of Oz and its various incarnations, updates, reimaginings and what have you, but I’ve never really loved it. The only Oz-related thing that ever captured my imagination was Ozma of Oz, which I read and reread all throughout the last two years of elementary school.* (And I first picked up because I had seen Return to Oz on a double feature with Labyrinth. Yeah…) I think the 1939 movie’s fine, I’m not enamored with it, I read the first book once upon a time, but I can’t remember more specific details, and I do really like both versions of Wicked, but I’m not crazy about it.
And it’s a shame, because I do think that more people should go and read the original books, because it’s hard to get a children’s series that’s not been ripped apart by criticism and allegory. (Not that Oz hasn’t been subject to criticism—c’mon, Baum was a massive feminist and it shows—but compared to Alice in Wonderland or the Chronicles of Narnia, it feels like he gets off easy. Or at least in my experience, that’s what it’s felt like.) And I think that most of it has to do that the movie is so beloved, that any attempt to go further into the World of Oz is automatically biased against it. Even the musical adaptation of Wicked, which is arguably the most successful of the Ozian derivatives, is still in a specific subculture that’s not 100% mainstream. And I do get disappointed with it, because I do think that there’s such a rich universe here that doesn’t get explored due to this ingrained pop culture subconscious.
Which is why I really like this anthology, because there is an acknowledgment that the authors are working against this holy text of 20th century films (and not just the fact that they have to remind you that Dorothy originally had silver slippers, not ruby). And yet, this adds so much more to the world of Oz and actually explores it, instead of just riffing on the same familiar story.
I would say about half of the stories in here are riffs and retellings of the original story, but what makes it work for is that all of the authors in the anthology have such wildly different takes and ideas of how to change things up that it kept my interest and I wasn’t rolling my eyes when I read three retellings/riffs in a row. For example, there’s “The Veiled Shanghai” by Ken Liu, which is one for one, but reimagines the setting in China during the May Fourth Movement in 1919. This is immediately followed by Robin Swirsky’s “Beyond the Naked Eye,” which throws in a Hunger Games-esque competition in place of the original story, only to serve as the background events as an assassination plot unfolds. And on the other end of the spectrum, you have Robin Wasserman’s “One Flew Over the Rainbow” which is the bleak, gritty realistic “reimagining” by recasting the characters in a psych ward (no, it doesn’t have a twist, thank God), and manages one of a gut-punch. And then there’s “A Tornado of Dorothys,” which feels like a bigger metaphor for the collection itself, as we see a Dorothy land in Oz and confront the Dorothys that came before her and that the story doesn’t really end.
This is not to imply that every story in this collection is just reimaginings of Dorothy’s journey—the other half of the stories involved here are original tales set in the same world, sometimes using familiar charactes, others featuring nothing but original characters and nods to what’s come before. “The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz” is an immensely fun prequel story that manages to play around with the character histories from what we know, “ and “The Cobbler of Oz” is a sweet fairy tale that is the perfect capper to the collection.
The only thing that I wasn’t as fond of were the number of stories that were darker—not to say that they were bad, but that’s when I felt things were getting a little too repetive in tone. Mainly the “darker side of the Emerald City” dystopic ones, which is a fair exploration, but again, those felt a little more like retreads than being interesting. I did like “Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust,” but when I got to “A Meeting in Oz,” I was getting bored with the ‘GRIMDARK in your beloved children’s story!” (See also “Dead Blue,” which is dark cyberpunk retelling that just didn’t quite work for me.)
I do really think that this is a strong collection overall—there’s stories in here that I didn’t like, but only one or two that I actively disliked, and even the ones I was lukewarm on, I did like the concept or the writing. And as I said, what works in its favor is that although there are similar stories or ideas, the writing and concepts vary wildly from story, and that’s what kept me interest throughout. I would definitely recommend checking this one out, even if all you know about Oz is the movie or Wicked.
*There were two Frank L. Baum books that I read so many times as a kid—Ozma of Oz being one, and the other was The Life and Times of Santa Claus. Which if you haven’t read, I still think it’s worth checking out. I might have to hunt down a copy and give it a reread, but I remember it being delightful.
And it’s a shame, because I do think that more people should go and read the original books, because it’s hard to get a children’s series that’s not been ripped apart by criticism and allegory. (Not that Oz hasn’t been subject to criticism—c’mon, Baum was a massive feminist and it shows—but compared to Alice in Wonderland or the Chronicles of Narnia, it feels like he gets off easy. Or at least in my experience, that’s what it’s felt like.) And I think that most of it has to do that the movie is so beloved, that any attempt to go further into the World of Oz is automatically biased against it. Even the musical adaptation of Wicked, which is arguably the most successful of the Ozian derivatives, is still in a specific subculture that’s not 100% mainstream. And I do get disappointed with it, because I do think that there’s such a rich universe here that doesn’t get explored due to this ingrained pop culture subconscious.
Which is why I really like this anthology, because there is an acknowledgment that the authors are working against this holy text of 20th century films (and not just the fact that they have to remind you that Dorothy originally had silver slippers, not ruby). And yet, this adds so much more to the world of Oz and actually explores it, instead of just riffing on the same familiar story.
I would say about half of the stories in here are riffs and retellings of the original story, but what makes it work for is that all of the authors in the anthology have such wildly different takes and ideas of how to change things up that it kept my interest and I wasn’t rolling my eyes when I read three retellings/riffs in a row. For example, there’s “The Veiled Shanghai” by Ken Liu, which is one for one, but reimagines the setting in China during the May Fourth Movement in 1919. This is immediately followed by Robin Swirsky’s “Beyond the Naked Eye,” which throws in a Hunger Games-esque competition in place of the original story, only to serve as the background events as an assassination plot unfolds. And on the other end of the spectrum, you have Robin Wasserman’s “One Flew Over the Rainbow” which is the bleak, gritty realistic “reimagining” by recasting the characters in a psych ward (no, it doesn’t have a twist, thank God), and manages one of a gut-punch. And then there’s “A Tornado of Dorothys,” which feels like a bigger metaphor for the collection itself, as we see a Dorothy land in Oz and confront the Dorothys that came before her and that the story doesn’t really end.
This is not to imply that every story in this collection is just reimaginings of Dorothy’s journey—the other half of the stories involved here are original tales set in the same world, sometimes using familiar charactes, others featuring nothing but original characters and nods to what’s come before. “The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz” is an immensely fun prequel story that manages to play around with the character histories from what we know, “ and “The Cobbler of Oz” is a sweet fairy tale that is the perfect capper to the collection.
The only thing that I wasn’t as fond of were the number of stories that were darker—not to say that they were bad, but that’s when I felt things were getting a little too repetive in tone. Mainly the “darker side of the Emerald City” dystopic ones, which is a fair exploration, but again, those felt a little more like retreads than being interesting. I did like “Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust,” but when I got to “A Meeting in Oz,” I was getting bored with the ‘GRIMDARK in your beloved children’s story!” (See also “Dead Blue,” which is dark cyberpunk retelling that just didn’t quite work for me.)
I do really think that this is a strong collection overall—there’s stories in here that I didn’t like, but only one or two that I actively disliked, and even the ones I was lukewarm on, I did like the concept or the writing. And as I said, what works in its favor is that although there are similar stories or ideas, the writing and concepts vary wildly from story, and that’s what kept me interest throughout. I would definitely recommend checking this one out, even if all you know about Oz is the movie or Wicked.
*There were two Frank L. Baum books that I read so many times as a kid—Ozma of Oz being one, and the other was The Life and Times of Santa Claus. Which if you haven’t read, I still think it’s worth checking out. I might have to hunt down a copy and give it a reread, but I remember it being delightful.
April 5, 2013
Oz Reimagined is an anthology based on the Wizard of Oz stories by L. Frank Baum. I received this book as a Klout perk and I found myself liking it for the most part and the cover art is just too dang cute! Some of the stories I didnt particularly care for - they were just a little too bizarre for my taste, but maybe that's because I'm only familiar with the movie and not the original stories.
There's 15 stories in all, but three stories in in particular grabbed my attention, the first one titled Dorthy Dreams. The story involves an elderly Dorthy who longs to visit Oz one more time. The story proved to be sweet and sad at the same time, but it had a beauty to it. The second story I really liked was One Flew Over the Rainbow. Now unlike the previous one I mentioned this one isnt for kids (a lot of the stories here arent), but I really loved the dark, psychological story it told: It involves a group of young kids that are in an institution for various forms of psychological issues. I loved how the author incorporated aspects of Oz and showed them through the eyes of a young girl with a lot of issues. It gave the story a more real world feel. My favorite story ended up being the very last one titled The Cobbler of Oz. It was absolutely adorable and one that you could tell kids of all ages. It's about a little Winged Monkey named Nyla whose wings are too small to fly and all the other kids make fun of her. She has the cutest little personality and you root for her and really hope she gets to fly. It really was a gem.
Other ones that I enjoyed - to a lesser extent- in the order they appear: Emeralds to Emeralds Dust to Dust, Lost Girls of Oz, The Boy Detective of Oz, The Vieled Shangai, Blown Away, and Off to See the Emperor. So I guess that leaves five that just werent my cup of tea.
Also, thanks to Klout for sending it to me as a perk!
There's 15 stories in all, but three stories in in particular grabbed my attention, the first one titled Dorthy Dreams. The story involves an elderly Dorthy who longs to visit Oz one more time. The story proved to be sweet and sad at the same time, but it had a beauty to it. The second story I really liked was One Flew Over the Rainbow. Now unlike the previous one I mentioned this one isnt for kids (a lot of the stories here arent), but I really loved the dark, psychological story it told: It involves a group of young kids that are in an institution for various forms of psychological issues. I loved how the author incorporated aspects of Oz and showed them through the eyes of a young girl with a lot of issues. It gave the story a more real world feel. My favorite story ended up being the very last one titled The Cobbler of Oz. It was absolutely adorable and one that you could tell kids of all ages. It's about a little Winged Monkey named Nyla whose wings are too small to fly and all the other kids make fun of her. She has the cutest little personality and you root for her and really hope she gets to fly. It really was a gem.
Other ones that I enjoyed - to a lesser extent- in the order they appear: Emeralds to Emeralds Dust to Dust, Lost Girls of Oz, The Boy Detective of Oz, The Vieled Shangai, Blown Away, and Off to See the Emperor. So I guess that leaves five that just werent my cup of tea.
Also, thanks to Klout for sending it to me as a perk!
March 26, 2013
I received this book as a perk from Klout.com and finally had a change to finish all the stories. Many of them are 5* reads (One Flew Over The Rainbow, A Tornado of Dorothys, Off To See the Emperor, The Cobbler of Oz, A Meeting In Oz, and Dorothy Dreams) that make this book a wonderful addition to my book shelf. I will reread many of these stories again and again. Some of them I didn't care for, or would only give 2* or 3* to, but overall, I really recommend this book to anyone who loves the land of Oz.
I'd never read any of the books before- the only Oz I was familiar with was the movie version. Reading this book got me curious enough to download The Complete Wizard of Oz collection and I'm thrilled to finally have a chance to learn more about the world this book introduced me to. So for anyone who has been to Oz, and fallen in love with its crazy cast of characters, this book makes a welcome addition to the collection of tales by L. Frank Baum.
I'd never read any of the books before- the only Oz I was familiar with was the movie version. Reading this book got me curious enough to download The Complete Wizard of Oz collection and I'm thrilled to finally have a chance to learn more about the world this book introduced me to. So for anyone who has been to Oz, and fallen in love with its crazy cast of characters, this book makes a welcome addition to the collection of tales by L. Frank Baum.
July 29, 2013
Oz Reimagined is a collection of tales whose characters return as often, if not more often, to the "idea" of Oz as opposed to the actual Oz many of us read about as kids (or adults) and even more of us saw in the famed MGM version of the film. As its editors, John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen, say in their introduction: "You might not even find yourself in Oz, though in spirit, all these stories take place in Oz, regardless of their actual location." And actually, I personally found my favorites in here mostly to be those stories that did not hew too closely with Baum's characters or plots, but instead took the characters and skewed them, or sent them down a different path than the yellow-bricked one. Though as is often the case with anthologies, I found the collection as a whole a mixed bag, its stories evoking reactions varying from distaste to "meh" to "interesting" to "now that was cool."
... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
June 12, 2013
I at least liked all the stories, really liked some, loved a few. The last was so lovely!!!!!!! And I loved The Cobbler of Oz.
Basically, I have a lifelong love affair with Oz - with the original books, with the Ruth Plumly Thompsons, with the movie, with Wicked (the book), and with the way it's almost like a fairy tale in the way it lends itself to retelling, the way the canon is a bit hazy, the ability to politicize, the all of it. So even though I don't like short stories, this was a really fun read for me.
Basically, I have a lifelong love affair with Oz - with the original books, with the Ruth Plumly Thompsons, with the movie, with Wicked (the book), and with the way it's almost like a fairy tale in the way it lends itself to retelling, the way the canon is a bit hazy, the ability to politicize, the all of it. So even though I don't like short stories, this was a really fun read for me.
September 17, 2025
I mean if a book can be summarized like so, it may not be as light or set in as kid-friendly a world as we thought:
Foreword: Oz and Ourselves by Gregory Maguire
The foreword claims readers think of Oz when they create new worlds with their imaginations. I wasn’t Oz-crazy as a kid and I’m not doing that now!
Introduction: There’s No Place Like Oz by John Joseph Adams & Douglas Cohen
Describes the themes of stories in this anthology.
The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz by Rae Carson & C.C. Finlay
Relates the origin story of Oscar Diggs, who really wants to be the Oz we all have known but runs into roadblocks of the feminist variety! This is all you need to know about the man himself:
“This is what you call progress,” Oz said. “In the land where I come from, which is known as Nebraska, there were once great tribes of Indians and endless herds of buffalo. Then men like me came along, and we achieved progress, which we memorialize by stamping it on a nickel.”
“What happened to the Indians and the buffalos?”
“The same thing that is going to happen to your witches now that I’m here,” Oz said, snatching the coin away. “Progress!”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Gigi said.
I liked this one for its cheekiness.
Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust by Seanan McGuire
A grown-up Dorothy or Dot investigates a murder that involves the addictive Dust and munchkins in a dark, gritty Oz ruled over by the sorceress, Ozma.
A very noir PI plot. I liked it!
Lost Girls of Oz by Theodora Goss
Dottie’s big sister, Nell, has crossed into Oz and is part of Ozma’s big plans. This was just okayish.
The Boy Detective of Oz: An Otherland Story by Tad Williams
A sim adventure in an Oz that’s constantly reset when things go awry–and they often do! I
Dorothy Dreams by Simon R. Green
Life moved on for Dorothy after she returned to Kansas. What do you think the afterlife would be like for her? No surprises, so an okay story.
Dead Blue by David Farland
This version of Oz may be replete with technomages and cyborgs, but it focuses on the one thing the original didn’t, i.e., the psychological burden of becoming a murderer at such a young age. A short but good read.
So, I found this existed while searching for a cyborg Dorothy. Watch the trailer here.
One Flew Over the Rainbow by Robin Wasserman
Oh, this one was daaaaark, so I really liked it. Of course, I liked it. So, I’m not going to spoil this one for anyone who hasn’t read it yet. But I’ll tempt you with a quote:
Crow doesn’t want to die.
She wants to feel something, that’s what she tells me one night after he runs out of questions and leaves us to our reality TV and morphine drips. That’s why she jumps.
I feel too much, I tell her. That’s why the scars crawl up my legs and down my arms, intricate jags and whirls of hardened tissue; that’s why I grid myself with the knife, quadrants of lines and angles, my diagram of pain.
The Veiled Shanghai by Ken Liu
Set in an alternate China at the time of the May Fourth Movement in Shanghai, this is a grimdark entry like the one before. It ends on an uplifting note and while I liked that–and the story–I felt it was overly long,
Find more about the movement here.
Beyond the Naked Eye by Rachel Swirsky
Think Hunger Games but set in Oz and you’ll have guessed what this one is about. An okay read for me.
A Tornado of Dorothys by Kat Howard
There have been many Dorothys before her and there would be more if the Wizard had his way. But this one seems to know her own mind and that changes things. Eerie, ominous, and ends in a girl rebelling against the status quo–what else could I have asked for in a story? Kat Howard’s done it for me before and she does it again!
Blown Away by Jane Yolen
Dorothy is lost to her family when a tornado blows her away. She joins a circus, only to turn up at the homestead a few years later. Can she accept life as it was now that she has had a taste of independence? A below average read for me.
City So Bright by Dale Bailey
Revolution is simmering under the surface. Our protagonist is a Munchkin and just one of the magical creatures enslaved by Oz. The quote below accurately describes how dangerous is the Oz our protagonist lives in:
“Dorothy,” I will say, “the Emerald City is built upon the backs of millions.”
“Dorothy,” I will say, “the Munchkins no longer have a song in their hearts.”
“Dorothy,” I will say, “help us.”
Help us.
While I liked the world this story is set in, I wanted to see what Dorothy would do to set the creatures free.
Off to See the Emperor by Orson Scott Card
A young Frank L. Baum discovers there’s more to the world than most people see. Whether it was a dream or a true vision, that rare glimpse is why he creates the world of Oz as an adult. Another just okay read.
A Meeting in Oz by Jeffrey Ford
From the girl who saved the citizens of Oz to a shoe salesperson in the mundane world, Dorothy has fallen low. But things could improve now that she’s back in Oz. Will they, though? An okayish read.
The Cobbler of Oz by Jonathan Maberry
The tiniest saddest flying monkey who cannot fly gets her life changed when she meets this cobbler. A cutesy adventure with a fun ending.
Also reviewed at WP
Review of Nightside Book 12 here
Foreword: Oz and Ourselves by Gregory Maguire
The foreword claims readers think of Oz when they create new worlds with their imaginations. I wasn’t Oz-crazy as a kid and I’m not doing that now!
Introduction: There’s No Place Like Oz by John Joseph Adams & Douglas Cohen
Describes the themes of stories in this anthology.
The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz by Rae Carson & C.C. Finlay
Relates the origin story of Oscar Diggs, who really wants to be the Oz we all have known but runs into roadblocks of the feminist variety! This is all you need to know about the man himself:
“This is what you call progress,” Oz said. “In the land where I come from, which is known as Nebraska, there were once great tribes of Indians and endless herds of buffalo. Then men like me came along, and we achieved progress, which we memorialize by stamping it on a nickel.”
“What happened to the Indians and the buffalos?”
“The same thing that is going to happen to your witches now that I’m here,” Oz said, snatching the coin away. “Progress!”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Gigi said.
I liked this one for its cheekiness.
Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust by Seanan McGuire
A grown-up Dorothy or Dot investigates a murder that involves the addictive Dust and munchkins in a dark, gritty Oz ruled over by the sorceress, Ozma.
A very noir PI plot. I liked it!
Lost Girls of Oz by Theodora Goss
Dottie’s big sister, Nell, has crossed into Oz and is part of Ozma’s big plans. This was just okayish.
The Boy Detective of Oz: An Otherland Story by Tad Williams
A sim adventure in an Oz that’s constantly reset when things go awry–and they often do! I
Dorothy Dreams by Simon R. Green
Life moved on for Dorothy after she returned to Kansas. What do you think the afterlife would be like for her? No surprises, so an okay story.
Dead Blue by David Farland
This version of Oz may be replete with technomages and cyborgs, but it focuses on the one thing the original didn’t, i.e., the psychological burden of becoming a murderer at such a young age. A short but good read.
So, I found this existed while searching for a cyborg Dorothy. Watch the trailer here.
One Flew Over the Rainbow by Robin Wasserman
Oh, this one was daaaaark, so I really liked it. Of course, I liked it. So, I’m not going to spoil this one for anyone who hasn’t read it yet. But I’ll tempt you with a quote:
Crow doesn’t want to die.
She wants to feel something, that’s what she tells me one night after he runs out of questions and leaves us to our reality TV and morphine drips. That’s why she jumps.
I feel too much, I tell her. That’s why the scars crawl up my legs and down my arms, intricate jags and whirls of hardened tissue; that’s why I grid myself with the knife, quadrants of lines and angles, my diagram of pain.
The Veiled Shanghai by Ken Liu
Set in an alternate China at the time of the May Fourth Movement in Shanghai, this is a grimdark entry like the one before. It ends on an uplifting note and while I liked that–and the story–I felt it was overly long,
Find more about the movement here.
Beyond the Naked Eye by Rachel Swirsky
Think Hunger Games but set in Oz and you’ll have guessed what this one is about. An okay read for me.
A Tornado of Dorothys by Kat Howard
There have been many Dorothys before her and there would be more if the Wizard had his way. But this one seems to know her own mind and that changes things. Eerie, ominous, and ends in a girl rebelling against the status quo–what else could I have asked for in a story? Kat Howard’s done it for me before and she does it again!
Blown Away by Jane Yolen
Dorothy is lost to her family when a tornado blows her away. She joins a circus, only to turn up at the homestead a few years later. Can she accept life as it was now that she has had a taste of independence? A below average read for me.
City So Bright by Dale Bailey
Revolution is simmering under the surface. Our protagonist is a Munchkin and just one of the magical creatures enslaved by Oz. The quote below accurately describes how dangerous is the Oz our protagonist lives in:
“Dorothy,” I will say, “the Emerald City is built upon the backs of millions.”
“Dorothy,” I will say, “the Munchkins no longer have a song in their hearts.”
“Dorothy,” I will say, “help us.”
Help us.
While I liked the world this story is set in, I wanted to see what Dorothy would do to set the creatures free.
Off to See the Emperor by Orson Scott Card
A young Frank L. Baum discovers there’s more to the world than most people see. Whether it was a dream or a true vision, that rare glimpse is why he creates the world of Oz as an adult. Another just okay read.
A Meeting in Oz by Jeffrey Ford
From the girl who saved the citizens of Oz to a shoe salesperson in the mundane world, Dorothy has fallen low. But things could improve now that she’s back in Oz. Will they, though? An okayish read.
The Cobbler of Oz by Jonathan Maberry
The tiniest saddest flying monkey who cannot fly gets her life changed when she meets this cobbler. A cutesy adventure with a fun ending.
Also reviewed at WP
Review of Nightside Book 12 here
September 22, 2021
First things first: this is definitely a short story collection for adults. Sexual and violent content, as well as bad language, abound. I'm not sure why authors felt the need to go dark and depressing or violent with their treatment of children's stories. Occasionally it works, but...it usually just feels forced and...edgy for edginess's sake... I realize the authors were given free reign to write what they wanted using L Frank Baum's work for inspiration, but if I'm reading something based on Oz, I do want magic, and several of the stories are missing that magic.
As with all short story compilations, this collection has its ups and downs. Good stories; rough stories; boring stories; stories I didn't feel fit... Then again, there are also some solid stories, so...it is what it is.
Story Breakdown:
As with all short story compilations, this collection has its ups and downs. Good stories; rough stories; boring stories; stories I didn't feel fit... Then again, there are also some solid stories, so...it is what it is.
Story Breakdown:
January 24, 2015
Summary: 3/5 stars. Like many short story collections, this is a hit-or-miss set of stories. Some of them were fantastic, some were so-so, and a few missed the mark entirely for me.
Note: one story (One Flew Over the Rainbow) contains Self-Harm, so I'm adding a trigger warning.
Because the stories in this collection span genres, time periods, characters, and settings, I'm going to give a few comments on each of the individual stories.
Foreword: Oz and Ourselves—Gregory Maguire: Honestly, I found this foreword somewhat pretentious, with the implication that Oz is somehow represented in the childhood of every American child, and that before Oz was written, kids weren't allowed to be kids. Feel free to skip this, as I don't think it adds anything to the collection.
Introduction: There’s No Place Like Oz—John Joseph Adams & Douglas Cohen: This does give some interesting insight into the approach to this collection of short stories. It's not absolutely necessary, but I think it's a good setup for what follows.
The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz—Rae Carson & C.C. Finlay: A middel-of-the-road story. Not great, not bad, but ultimately not very memorable. The wizard is painted as something of a stereotype; a believer in manifest destiny that, through the lens of modern sensibilities, shows off as blatant racism and imperialism.
Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust—Seanan McGuire: This is one of my favorite stories in this book. If I were just rating this story, it would be 4.5/5. Ms. McGuire is clearly familiar with the full canon of Oz stories written by L Frank Baum, with just enough allusions to later stories (such as with Polychrome) to bring back memories, but without being sappy. This story, for me, captured a lot of what it would be like as an adult in an Emerald City that has had to deal with an influx of non-magical immigrants.
Lost Girls of Oz—Theodora Goss: An interesting story, but one that left me a bit unsatisfied with the ending. It does have a fascinating look at the power of propaganda.
The Boy Detective of Oz: An Otherland Story—Tad Williams: From the subtitle, I'm thinking this may be set in a larger universe (I'm not familiar with Mr. Williams' other work). It's interesting enough that I want to know more about this universe, and I think that's one of the highest praises I can give a story.
Dorothy Dreams—Simon R. Green: Honestly, as a fan of Mr. Green's work, this was probably the most disappointing story in this entire collection. Terribly predictable with overused tropes.
Dead Blue—David Farland: This was an interesting take on Oz, very cyberpunk. I feel it could have been fleshed out more - the particular POV chosen for the story felt too limiting - he's not even present for some major events of the plot. Still, the characters are solid.
One Flew Over the Rainbow—Robin Wasserman: Let me start with this: TRIGGER WARNING: SELF HARM . I'm not saying it's out of place in the story. In fact, given the setting of the story (inside an institution) and the lead character, it is entirely within bounds, and isn't used gratuitously. This was a hard story for me to like, but I do think it was well-written.
The Veiled Shanghai—Ken Liu: This is another top-notch story in this collection: what would Oz have been like if set in Shanghai of 1919? With the backdrop of Tienanmen Square, this was a fascinating take on the Oz myth, and really one of the reasons I'm rating this collection as high as I am.
Beyond the Naked Eye—Rachel Swirsky: This story is interesting, with its take on Dorothy's journey as if it were a game (similar to The Hunger Games and similar stories using this trope). Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Nick Chopper, and the Lion are all traveling together, yes, but only one of them will get the wish at the end. The story is told by an Emerald City denizen who watches the game, rather than focusing on the familiar journey of the known characters. A tightly-written story, definitely worth a read.
A Tornado of Dorothys—Kat Howard: This was a fairly dream-like story. Interesting while reading it, but once I was done it felt kind of insubstantial. Not bad, but not great.
Blown Away—Jane Yolen: I enjoyed this story, even though it had no fantasy elements to it. Dorothy as a circus performer, learning the high wire, and then coming back for a visit to the farm in Kansas - it all fit together nicely, with enough common to be recognizable and enough strange to make it feel new.
City So Bright—Dale Bailey: While I liked this look at the slave-labor-in-all-but-name, the story was a bit too short for my liking. I didn't really get to know the characters, and so it was harder to care about what they were going through (other than in a "oh, that's awful" sort of way).
Off to See the Emperor—Orson Scott Card: I really enjoyed this story. It reminds us that even if something is lost, or changes in a retelling, the heart of a story still lives on. It embraces the idea that magic may not appear the same to everyone, but it's still magic.
A Meeting in Oz—Jeffrey Ford: I didn't really enjoy this story. There didn't seem to be much of a point, nor any real deeper meaning. It seems to be about how bad things happen, and sometimes that's all there is to it - when you grow up, life sucks. As this, as they say, is not news, the story felt ultimately pointless.
The Cobbler of Oz—Jonathan Maberry: This story lets the collection end on a truly high note. This was an Oz story - set in the familiar lands, and with some familiar characters (or at least character types). It also has a line which, I think, perfectly sums up the magic of Oz: "Magic is a wondrous thing, but it isn't always a nice thing." Definitely a good way to end this collection.
Note: one story (One Flew Over the Rainbow) contains Self-Harm, so I'm adding a trigger warning.
Because the stories in this collection span genres, time periods, characters, and settings, I'm going to give a few comments on each of the individual stories.
Foreword: Oz and Ourselves—Gregory Maguire: Honestly, I found this foreword somewhat pretentious, with the implication that Oz is somehow represented in the childhood of every American child, and that before Oz was written, kids weren't allowed to be kids. Feel free to skip this, as I don't think it adds anything to the collection.
Introduction: There’s No Place Like Oz—John Joseph Adams & Douglas Cohen: This does give some interesting insight into the approach to this collection of short stories. It's not absolutely necessary, but I think it's a good setup for what follows.
The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz—Rae Carson & C.C. Finlay: A middel-of-the-road story. Not great, not bad, but ultimately not very memorable. The wizard is painted as something of a stereotype; a believer in manifest destiny that, through the lens of modern sensibilities, shows off as blatant racism and imperialism.
Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust—Seanan McGuire: This is one of my favorite stories in this book. If I were just rating this story, it would be 4.5/5. Ms. McGuire is clearly familiar with the full canon of Oz stories written by L Frank Baum, with just enough allusions to later stories (such as with Polychrome) to bring back memories, but without being sappy. This story, for me, captured a lot of what it would be like as an adult in an Emerald City that has had to deal with an influx of non-magical immigrants.
Lost Girls of Oz—Theodora Goss: An interesting story, but one that left me a bit unsatisfied with the ending. It does have a fascinating look at the power of propaganda.
The Boy Detective of Oz: An Otherland Story—Tad Williams: From the subtitle, I'm thinking this may be set in a larger universe (I'm not familiar with Mr. Williams' other work). It's interesting enough that I want to know more about this universe, and I think that's one of the highest praises I can give a story.
Dorothy Dreams—Simon R. Green: Honestly, as a fan of Mr. Green's work, this was probably the most disappointing story in this entire collection. Terribly predictable with overused tropes.
Dead Blue—David Farland: This was an interesting take on Oz, very cyberpunk. I feel it could have been fleshed out more - the particular POV chosen for the story felt too limiting - he's not even present for some major events of the plot. Still, the characters are solid.
One Flew Over the Rainbow—Robin Wasserman: Let me start with this: TRIGGER WARNING: SELF HARM . I'm not saying it's out of place in the story. In fact, given the setting of the story (inside an institution) and the lead character, it is entirely within bounds, and isn't used gratuitously. This was a hard story for me to like, but I do think it was well-written.
The Veiled Shanghai—Ken Liu: This is another top-notch story in this collection: what would Oz have been like if set in Shanghai of 1919? With the backdrop of Tienanmen Square, this was a fascinating take on the Oz myth, and really one of the reasons I'm rating this collection as high as I am.
Beyond the Naked Eye—Rachel Swirsky: This story is interesting, with its take on Dorothy's journey as if it were a game (similar to The Hunger Games and similar stories using this trope). Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Nick Chopper, and the Lion are all traveling together, yes, but only one of them will get the wish at the end. The story is told by an Emerald City denizen who watches the game, rather than focusing on the familiar journey of the known characters. A tightly-written story, definitely worth a read.
A Tornado of Dorothys—Kat Howard: This was a fairly dream-like story. Interesting while reading it, but once I was done it felt kind of insubstantial. Not bad, but not great.
Blown Away—Jane Yolen: I enjoyed this story, even though it had no fantasy elements to it. Dorothy as a circus performer, learning the high wire, and then coming back for a visit to the farm in Kansas - it all fit together nicely, with enough common to be recognizable and enough strange to make it feel new.
City So Bright—Dale Bailey: While I liked this look at the slave-labor-in-all-but-name, the story was a bit too short for my liking. I didn't really get to know the characters, and so it was harder to care about what they were going through (other than in a "oh, that's awful" sort of way).
Off to See the Emperor—Orson Scott Card: I really enjoyed this story. It reminds us that even if something is lost, or changes in a retelling, the heart of a story still lives on. It embraces the idea that magic may not appear the same to everyone, but it's still magic.
A Meeting in Oz—Jeffrey Ford: I didn't really enjoy this story. There didn't seem to be much of a point, nor any real deeper meaning. It seems to be about how bad things happen, and sometimes that's all there is to it - when you grow up, life sucks. As this, as they say, is not news, the story felt ultimately pointless.
The Cobbler of Oz—Jonathan Maberry: This story lets the collection end on a truly high note. This was an Oz story - set in the familiar lands, and with some familiar characters (or at least character types). It also has a line which, I think, perfectly sums up the magic of Oz: "Magic is a wondrous thing, but it isn't always a nice thing." Definitely a good way to end this collection.
June 3, 2022
I’ve had Oz Reimagined on my Kindle for years. I put off reading it because no one is going to write better Oz stories than L. Frank Baum. I wish I had read it sooner because this is an outstanding collection of Oz stories by some of the best science fiction and fantasy writers. Writers like Orson Scott Card, Seanan McGuire, Ken Liu, and Jane Yolen, to name a few. The stories were so creative and inventive, but also perfectly portrayed different aspects of Oz. There were detective Dorothys, old Dorothys and murderer Dorothys. I had a chance to revisit the Scarecrow, Lion, Tin Man and Toto – although they were not exactly the same characters I remembered. I had 2 favorites in the collection - Simon R. Green’s tale of an elderly Dorothy living in a nursing home and her final visit to Oz and Tad Williams’s story of Otherworld and Oz. I’ve never read anything by either author, but I was so impressed with these stories, I’d like to read more of their work.
If you are a fan of The Wizard of Oz, do yourself a favor and pick up this collection and take another trip back to the world of Oz.
If you are a fan of The Wizard of Oz, do yourself a favor and pick up this collection and take another trip back to the world of Oz.
January 1, 2020
I grabbed a Kindle version in 2018 because it was on special (on sale? free? I forget) -- and I've been a fan of John Joseph Adams' collections in the past.
I had a hard time getting into this one, and I really couldn't say why. Maybe I'm just not sucked in by the Oz fantasies? There was nothing objectionable -- the stories that I did read weren't awful or anything like that. I was certainly intrigued by these novel re-imaginings of the Oz world and the characters that populate it.
But after about a year and a half... I was just like: "You know what? I'm not going to finish this."
Maybe I'll come back to it later. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I had a hard time getting into this one, and I really couldn't say why. Maybe I'm just not sucked in by the Oz fantasies? There was nothing objectionable -- the stories that I did read weren't awful or anything like that. I was certainly intrigued by these novel re-imaginings of the Oz world and the characters that populate it.
But after about a year and a half... I was just like: "You know what? I'm not going to finish this."
Maybe I'll come back to it later. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
May 16, 2022
3.5 stars
While I enjoyed some stories in this, it was a mixed bag, as story collections usually are. At some points I was really into it, but at other points, with several stories in a row I didn't like, I found myself questioning whether I really liked the collection or just the whole idea of it. I ended up dnfing three of the stories for various reasons, but some of them also surprised me in a good way, too.
The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz- I enjoyed the writing in this; it was very witty, though at times it felt more like the Alice in Wonderland nonsense style. However, I wasn't a fan of where the plot ultimately went.
Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust- I enjoyed this one, but I felt that maybe a short story wasn't the best format for something like this because it felt like there wasn't enough space to develop the characters and the mystery, and the answer was super obvious. I think this could have been a longer story, and I would totally be open to seeing an Oz detective series, because it was kind of fun. I think the whole thing just needed more room to develop.
Lost Girls of Oz- I didn't end up liking this one much, which is strange because normally I enjoy stories told through letters. I felt like the scope of the story was too large to be told as a short story, as it feels like it was just getting started. It felt like it could be the beginning for a longer story.
The Boy Detective of Oz- I was very disappointed in this one, as it is apparently connected to a separate series and makes little sense unless you've read from that series (which I haven't.) Personally, I think that stories in a themed collection with multiple authors should be standalone stories and it should not be assumed that you've read something from a separate series which is necessary to understand it. I ended up giving up on this story as I only understood about half of what was happening.
Dorothy Dreams- I found this one to be okay, but I saw a lot of people in their reviews saying they really liked this one, so I expected to like it more. I did like the whole Oz being the afterlife thing, but I didn't like how it was rather unsubtle, and how it went the Chronicles of Narnia route.
Dead Blue- I liked the concept, but I was expecting more from it. It was very short, and not much happened. It felt like it could be the beginning for a longer story, which I actually wouldn't mind seeing.
One Flew Over the Rainbow- I dnfed this story as well. I don't like when authors turn these sorts of stories into mental illness/ mental hospital things. I feel like it's just been overdone, particularly with Alice in Wonderland, and it takes the enchantment and whimsy out of it for me. It turns it into something too real, too serious for my taste.
The Veiled Shanghai- For the first 75% of this one I thought it was just okay, telling the same story with a different setting and a different culture, but with the last 25% I found myself really enjoying it.
Beyond the Naked Eye- I really enjoyed this one as well. It felt like The Wizard of Oz meets The Hunger Games. I did wish it was longer, though, so we could actually see the game in progress.
A Tornado of Dorothys- I loved this one, as it went to the more sinister side while also maintaining the magic of Oz. I liked the idea of history repeating itself over and over.
Blown Away- I didn't like where this one ended up going, and I felt I didn't really understand what was happening at the end.
City So Bright- I started off skimming this one but dnfed it because I just found I didn't like the narrator or the overall tone.
Off to See the Emperor- I think this was my favorite of the collection, which surprised me because I read Ender's Game by Card before and didn't like it. This seemed like one of the stories that most captured the spirit of the original Oz.
A Meeting in Oz- I didn't end up liking this one, as it was pretty dark and depressing. It was missing the sparkle that makes Oz appealing to me.
The Cobbler of Oz- I loved this one, as I felt it really captured the magic of Oz. I liked the characters and the overall tone, which in some ways felt like a fairy tale.
While I enjoyed some stories in this, it was a mixed bag, as story collections usually are. At some points I was really into it, but at other points, with several stories in a row I didn't like, I found myself questioning whether I really liked the collection or just the whole idea of it. I ended up dnfing three of the stories for various reasons, but some of them also surprised me in a good way, too.
The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz- I enjoyed the writing in this; it was very witty, though at times it felt more like the Alice in Wonderland nonsense style. However, I wasn't a fan of where the plot ultimately went.
Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust- I enjoyed this one, but I felt that maybe a short story wasn't the best format for something like this because it felt like there wasn't enough space to develop the characters and the mystery, and the answer was super obvious. I think this could have been a longer story, and I would totally be open to seeing an Oz detective series, because it was kind of fun. I think the whole thing just needed more room to develop.
Lost Girls of Oz- I didn't end up liking this one much, which is strange because normally I enjoy stories told through letters. I felt like the scope of the story was too large to be told as a short story, as it feels like it was just getting started. It felt like it could be the beginning for a longer story.
The Boy Detective of Oz- I was very disappointed in this one, as it is apparently connected to a separate series and makes little sense unless you've read from that series (which I haven't.) Personally, I think that stories in a themed collection with multiple authors should be standalone stories and it should not be assumed that you've read something from a separate series which is necessary to understand it. I ended up giving up on this story as I only understood about half of what was happening.
Dorothy Dreams- I found this one to be okay, but I saw a lot of people in their reviews saying they really liked this one, so I expected to like it more. I did like the whole Oz being the afterlife thing, but I didn't like how it was rather unsubtle, and how it went the Chronicles of Narnia route.
Dead Blue- I liked the concept, but I was expecting more from it. It was very short, and not much happened. It felt like it could be the beginning for a longer story, which I actually wouldn't mind seeing.
One Flew Over the Rainbow- I dnfed this story as well. I don't like when authors turn these sorts of stories into mental illness/ mental hospital things. I feel like it's just been overdone, particularly with Alice in Wonderland, and it takes the enchantment and whimsy out of it for me. It turns it into something too real, too serious for my taste.
The Veiled Shanghai- For the first 75% of this one I thought it was just okay, telling the same story with a different setting and a different culture, but with the last 25% I found myself really enjoying it.
Beyond the Naked Eye- I really enjoyed this one as well. It felt like The Wizard of Oz meets The Hunger Games. I did wish it was longer, though, so we could actually see the game in progress.
A Tornado of Dorothys- I loved this one, as it went to the more sinister side while also maintaining the magic of Oz. I liked the idea of history repeating itself over and over.
Blown Away- I didn't like where this one ended up going, and I felt I didn't really understand what was happening at the end.
City So Bright- I started off skimming this one but dnfed it because I just found I didn't like the narrator or the overall tone.
Off to See the Emperor- I think this was my favorite of the collection, which surprised me because I read Ender's Game by Card before and didn't like it. This seemed like one of the stories that most captured the spirit of the original Oz.
A Meeting in Oz- I didn't end up liking this one, as it was pretty dark and depressing. It was missing the sparkle that makes Oz appealing to me.
The Cobbler of Oz- I loved this one, as I felt it really captured the magic of Oz. I liked the characters and the overall tone, which in some ways felt like a fairy tale.
April 2, 2013
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
This is definitely not the Oz of my – or your – childhood. Editors Adams and Cohen asked fantasy authors to reimagine Oz, rather than set new stories in L. Frank Baum’s world. And reimagine it they have. From Seanan McGuire’s dystopian “Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust” to Ken Liu’s deft recasting of the original story in revolution-era China in “The Veiled Shanghai” to Kat Howard’s haunting “A Tornado of Dorothys”, each story reveals a unique and often thought-provoking twist on the Oz tales of my childhood.
More than a few stories offer social commentary: Rachel Swirsky’s “Beyond the Naked Eye,” recasts the story as a game show, while in Theodora Goss’s “Lost Girls of Oz,” Oz has become a refuge – and perhaps more – for abused and neglected girls. “City So Bright” by Dale Bailey explores worker oppression, and Seanan McGuire’s entry looks at immigration, poverty, and slums. Some are quirky but interesting: in Orson Scott Card’s “Off to See the Emperor”, Baum’s son and a girl name Dotty search for the Emperor of the Air, while Jane Yolen explores what Uncle Henry, Aunt Em, and the hands might have experienced after Dorothy was “Blown Away” – and what happens after she returns from seven years in the circus. Some of the stories are disturbing: Robin Wasserman’s “One Flew Over the Rainbow” and Jeffrey Ford’s “A Meeting in Oz” both made me very uncomfortable, albeit for different reasons. On the other hand, Simon R. Green’s lovely “Dorothy Dreams” made me smile and weep at the same time, and Jonathan Maberry’s magical “The Cobbler of Oz”, a fairy tale/fable in the best tradition of the original Oz stories, is almost worth the price of admission all by itself. It tells the story of a cobbler, a Winged Monkey child with stunted wings, a dragon – and the silver slippers.
Yes, I did say silver slippers. The authors were asked to use the original books by L. Frank Baum, not the movie starring Judy Garland. It’s clear that most of them did so, though few appear as familiar with the stories that came after The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as do Tad Williams, Seanan McGuire, and Theodora Goss. It’s also clear that, however far their stories may diverge from Baum’s originals, most of these authors write from a deep respect and love for the classic Oz tales. I also want to give a shout out to Gregory Maguire (author of the Oz-inspired series that includes Wicked) for a passionate and moving tribute to Oz in his terrific foreword.
One final warning: these stories are for those who love Oz, but they are not for purists nor, for the most part, for children. If you’re willing to see Oz through different eyes, willing to risk discomfort but also delight, then give these stories a try.
FCC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
You can read more of my reviews at The Bookwyrm’s Hoard
September 21, 2013
This anthology is a mixed bag. Some of the stories are excellent, most are okay, and a few are downright poor (either due to content or weak writing).
"The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz" is a fun, quirky story. It's a great opener for the anthology and its humor seems to evoke Oz's greatest moments.
"Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust" has vulgarity worthy of a PG-13 or R-rated movie and the mystery aspect is very thin. I didn't care for the characterizations of Dorothy and Ozma.
"Lost Girls of Oz" had some potential, but the main character doesn't grow and the story's format makes it jump instead of walk through its stages.
"The Boy Detective of Oz: An Otherland Story" is the story I bought the anthology to read. It focuses on Orlando Gardiner, one of my favorite characters from Tad Williams' Otherland series and it captures Oz while still taking a more mature look at the original books. The mystery here was better, though if I had remembered more of the books, I might have seen the resolution coming a bit sooner.
"Dorothy Dreams" was a weak story with bad theology that tried to imitate Narnia but didn't succeed.
"Dead Blue" was more of an introduction to a steampunk Oz than an actual story. I would have liked this one to be longer and more involved.
"One Flew Over the Rainbow" is an obvious mashup between Oz and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It succeeds in doing what you would expect from such a combination, but it definitely leans more toward its secondary influence.
"The Veiled Shanghai" is a veiled history lesson about China. Not bad, but not the best.
"Beyond the Naked Eye" is a fun alternate telling of the first Oz book focusing on an insurgency bent on removing the Wizard from power and a reality show run by Glinda. It's one of the better stories in the anthology.
"A Tornado of Dorothys" is a brief but haunting story in which the Land of Oz tries to get the story right, but it takes a while. Not a bad story.
"Blown Away" is a decent, realistic retelling of Wizard of Oz from the point of view of one of the farm hands. I was surprised that Jane Yolen went the route of realism, but she did an excellent job with it.
"City So Bright" is another dystopian view of Oz under the Wizard (there are quite a few of those in this set), focusing on the enslaved Munchkins, Winkies, and Winged Monkeys. Its vulgarity is on a level with the 2nd and 7th stories, and like those stories, it loses something for that.
"Off to See the Emperor" is a fun, well-written story by Orson Scott Card. It's one of the top three stories in this anthology by far. The characters are well-developed and the conflict is solved in a typical Ozian fashion.
"A Meeting in Oz" takes the dystopian theme further by presenting an Oz that has nearly died because magic has left. It's a story that's difficult to get a bead on, but worth the read.
"The Cobbler of Oz" is also written in the vein of the original Oz books, but serves as a prequel to the series and is a fitting end to the anthology.
"The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz" is a fun, quirky story. It's a great opener for the anthology and its humor seems to evoke Oz's greatest moments.
"Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust" has vulgarity worthy of a PG-13 or R-rated movie and the mystery aspect is very thin. I didn't care for the characterizations of Dorothy and Ozma.
"Lost Girls of Oz" had some potential, but the main character doesn't grow and the story's format makes it jump instead of walk through its stages.
"The Boy Detective of Oz: An Otherland Story" is the story I bought the anthology to read. It focuses on Orlando Gardiner, one of my favorite characters from Tad Williams' Otherland series and it captures Oz while still taking a more mature look at the original books. The mystery here was better, though if I had remembered more of the books, I might have seen the resolution coming a bit sooner.
"Dorothy Dreams" was a weak story with bad theology that tried to imitate Narnia but didn't succeed.
"Dead Blue" was more of an introduction to a steampunk Oz than an actual story. I would have liked this one to be longer and more involved.
"One Flew Over the Rainbow" is an obvious mashup between Oz and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It succeeds in doing what you would expect from such a combination, but it definitely leans more toward its secondary influence.
"The Veiled Shanghai" is a veiled history lesson about China. Not bad, but not the best.
"Beyond the Naked Eye" is a fun alternate telling of the first Oz book focusing on an insurgency bent on removing the Wizard from power and a reality show run by Glinda. It's one of the better stories in the anthology.
"A Tornado of Dorothys" is a brief but haunting story in which the Land of Oz tries to get the story right, but it takes a while. Not a bad story.
"Blown Away" is a decent, realistic retelling of Wizard of Oz from the point of view of one of the farm hands. I was surprised that Jane Yolen went the route of realism, but she did an excellent job with it.
"City So Bright" is another dystopian view of Oz under the Wizard (there are quite a few of those in this set), focusing on the enslaved Munchkins, Winkies, and Winged Monkeys. Its vulgarity is on a level with the 2nd and 7th stories, and like those stories, it loses something for that.
"Off to See the Emperor" is a fun, well-written story by Orson Scott Card. It's one of the top three stories in this anthology by far. The characters are well-developed and the conflict is solved in a typical Ozian fashion.
"A Meeting in Oz" takes the dystopian theme further by presenting an Oz that has nearly died because magic has left. It's a story that's difficult to get a bead on, but worth the read.
"The Cobbler of Oz" is also written in the vein of the original Oz books, but serves as a prequel to the series and is a fitting end to the anthology.
January 6, 2014
Oz Reimagined is a collection of 15 short stories, and I almost gave it two stars because I did enjoy a few of the short stories. However, I decided on the one rating when I saw the note on the content said it was intended for ages thirteen and up; it did suggest parental guidance, but I would never recommend some of these short stories for a thirteen-year old.
I've read other re-imaginings and enjoyed them, but some of these stories were less of a reimagining than a slaughter of the first Oz novel. I felt that a couple of the authors understood that the world of Oz was larger than just than just that first book - The Wizard of Oz. I enjoyed seeing characters that only showed up in the later books, such as references to the Land of Ev, Scraps, Tik-Tok, and the Nome King.
I even enjoyed the artistic merit in some of the negative re-imaginings such as "One Flew Over the Rainbow" altering the characters from "The Wizard of Oz" in the vein of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". But as I much as I enjoyed the author's intent, I really don't know if I'd want a thirteen old to read about trading coerced sex for contraband and other behaviors that occur in a mental health institution. I also personally hated the story, but I can appreciate the author's creativity.
But there were highlights, "The Cobbler of Oz" could have been a prequel entry in Baum's series itself. (On it's own, I'd give that story five stars.) It is a kind of origin story of the silver slippers and how they came into possession of the Wicked Witch of the East. It takes a few liberties with the canon, but it would be suitable for an Oz fan of any age.
I also enjoyed "Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust". This was one of the first stories in the collection, and it got my hopes up of great things to come. Similar to how Maguire's original novel "Wicked" began with the premise what happened before Dorothy arrived in Oz, this short story asked what happened after the happily ever after. Like "Wicked", the story went in a direction you would not expect. It showed knowledge of all of Baum's novels, but it added the unexpected twist of Dorothy as an out-of-favor girlfriend of Ozma in a land where Oz is dealing with an immigrant and drug problem. Never would have been Baum's canon, maybe not suitable for all thirteen-year olds, but definitely enjoyable, and got me excited for things to come.
Besides a couple of other imaginative entries, it was mostly a contest of how an author could re-imagine the original Wizard of Oz. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if the stories were in a different order. Too many depressing with similar formulas were lumped together where the more original stories were at the beginning and end.
I've read other re-imaginings and enjoyed them, but some of these stories were less of a reimagining than a slaughter of the first Oz novel. I felt that a couple of the authors understood that the world of Oz was larger than just than just that first book - The Wizard of Oz. I enjoyed seeing characters that only showed up in the later books, such as references to the Land of Ev, Scraps, Tik-Tok, and the Nome King.
I even enjoyed the artistic merit in some of the negative re-imaginings such as "One Flew Over the Rainbow" altering the characters from "The Wizard of Oz" in the vein of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". But as I much as I enjoyed the author's intent, I really don't know if I'd want a thirteen old to read about trading coerced sex for contraband and other behaviors that occur in a mental health institution. I also personally hated the story, but I can appreciate the author's creativity.
But there were highlights, "The Cobbler of Oz" could have been a prequel entry in Baum's series itself. (On it's own, I'd give that story five stars.) It is a kind of origin story of the silver slippers and how they came into possession of the Wicked Witch of the East. It takes a few liberties with the canon, but it would be suitable for an Oz fan of any age.
I also enjoyed "Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust". This was one of the first stories in the collection, and it got my hopes up of great things to come. Similar to how Maguire's original novel "Wicked" began with the premise what happened before Dorothy arrived in Oz, this short story asked what happened after the happily ever after. Like "Wicked", the story went in a direction you would not expect. It showed knowledge of all of Baum's novels, but it added the unexpected twist of Dorothy as an out-of-favor girlfriend of Ozma in a land where Oz is dealing with an immigrant and drug problem. Never would have been Baum's canon, maybe not suitable for all thirteen-year olds, but definitely enjoyable, and got me excited for things to come.
Besides a couple of other imaginative entries, it was mostly a contest of how an author could re-imagine the original Wizard of Oz. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if the stories were in a different order. Too many depressing with similar formulas were lumped together where the more original stories were at the beginning and end.
March 20, 2013
There is a vast variety of stories imagined and reimagined throughout Oz Reimagined, which was the intent. Some of the stories were sparkling gems, like "A Tornado of Dorothys" where people were sucked into a situation to replay the original story line over and over for The Great Wizard of Oz's view of the world, until a real Dorothy comes along.
Stories like "Veiled Shanghai" was a bit hard to grasp and I got lost on the other side of the veil wondering exactly what the point was. The story was good and moved well, but it was a little hard to keep together. I wonder if that was because the setting was China and the lifestyle quite foreign to me. That one I intend to read a few more times to grasp the meaning better. Stopping in the middle wasn't a good idea either as I lost the thread. Or maybe it wasn't me.
"Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust," although it dealt with drug trafficking in OZ and a culture that excluded crossovers was a fascinating and even guilty pleasure -- in spite of the central theme of drug addiction and traficking.
Oz Reimagined has many transformative stories and stories that are a joy to read, so much so that getting to the end of the book was a little sad. At least I can read them over again and again, which is what the editors and writers hoped. They did themselves proud in that tradition as I'm sure Frank Baum intended his stories to become childhood (and adult) favorites.
One flash fiction piece, "Dorothy Dreams," was a bit too pat and too heavenly for my taste. The writing was good and the story believable -- up to a point. It seemed less like "All Dogs Go To Heaven" and more like Dorothy gets old and goes back to OZ and God. The religious overtones were a bit too loud for my taste; others might find it exactly to their liking. I did, however, like the idea that Dorothy got to go back to a kinder and gentler OZ where she wasn't fighting witches and flying monkeys and being chased by Winkies. Then again, what would be the fun in that?
Each of the stories in OZ Reimagined is a gem of a different color and brightness. My choices may not be yours, but all of the gems are worth admiring for their brightness and beauty.
Stories like "Veiled Shanghai" was a bit hard to grasp and I got lost on the other side of the veil wondering exactly what the point was. The story was good and moved well, but it was a little hard to keep together. I wonder if that was because the setting was China and the lifestyle quite foreign to me. That one I intend to read a few more times to grasp the meaning better. Stopping in the middle wasn't a good idea either as I lost the thread. Or maybe it wasn't me.
"Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust," although it dealt with drug trafficking in OZ and a culture that excluded crossovers was a fascinating and even guilty pleasure -- in spite of the central theme of drug addiction and traficking.
Oz Reimagined has many transformative stories and stories that are a joy to read, so much so that getting to the end of the book was a little sad. At least I can read them over again and again, which is what the editors and writers hoped. They did themselves proud in that tradition as I'm sure Frank Baum intended his stories to become childhood (and adult) favorites.
One flash fiction piece, "Dorothy Dreams," was a bit too pat and too heavenly for my taste. The writing was good and the story believable -- up to a point. It seemed less like "All Dogs Go To Heaven" and more like Dorothy gets old and goes back to OZ and God. The religious overtones were a bit too loud for my taste; others might find it exactly to their liking. I did, however, like the idea that Dorothy got to go back to a kinder and gentler OZ where she wasn't fighting witches and flying monkeys and being chased by Winkies. Then again, what would be the fun in that?
Each of the stories in OZ Reimagined is a gem of a different color and brightness. My choices may not be yours, but all of the gems are worth admiring for their brightness and beauty.
May 19, 2013
There were several stories in this anthology that I considered particularly good.
The title "One Flew Over The Rainbow" points toward One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. Readers shouldn't be in any doubt about the thematic emphasis of this story. Like Kesey's novel, it deals with the patients at a mental institution. Dorothy is one of them. The metaphoric use of characters from Oz might seem heavy handed to some, but I thought it was very apt. It's not for those who expect a story for children. This is a dark vision for adults.
"The Veiled Shanghai" by Ken Liu is more complex. It takes place in an alternate steampunk Shanghai in 1919 where all the residents are under police surveillance through a device called the "Panopticon". I ran a search for Panopticon and discovered that the 18th century philosopher Jeremy Bentham had the idea of creating prisons in which the prisoners were under constant surveillance. Of course, the technology for such a project didn't exist in the 18th century. It does exist now. There are an increasing number of contexts in which citizens are under surveillance. Ken Liu brings the Panopticon into reality in the early 20th century in his alternate Shanghai. Things begin to change when Dorothy Gee from our Shanghai arrives in the alternate version of the city and gathers companions who are parallel to the Oz characters. Liu also plays with elements of the history of China during this period. This is a very interesting and involving story.
"A Tornado of Dorothys" by Kat Howard utilizes the familiar Oz matrix, but it's a repeating scenario. Many incarnations of the characters are trapped in their roles in an infinite loop waiting for the Dorothy who can end it. I loved the way it was resolved. It was truly magical.
Although other stories in the anthology aren't on the same level as the ones I've mentioned, I do recommend it. Oz can be a mirror that reflects back what we see in it.
For my complete review including a link to further information about the Panopticon, see my May 2013 blog entry "Oz Reimagined: Toto, I Don't Think We're Over The Rainbow Anymore" at http://www.maskedpersona.blogspot.com
April 2, 2020
Oz Reimagined: New Tales from the Emerald City and Beyond is a collection of fifteen new stories set in the wonderful world of Oz. I bought this for the Tad Williams story as I enjoyed his Otherland books but there was a whole lot more to enjoy.
The stories vary in length and tone with some being suitable for children, much like the source material, while seem are very much not for kids. While the length and tone varied dramatically I thought the stories themselves were universally of good quality and you could really tell that the authors loved the Oz books. While they were all good stories I did have a few of favourites that are worth calling out:
- The Cobbler of Oz by Jonathan Maberry.
- City So Bright by Dale Bailey.
- Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust by Seanan McGuire.
Emeralds to Emeralds was my favourite of the fifteen and I'd happily read a full novel set in this world by Seanan McGuire. In fact, I'm going to go and check out one her other books right now.
Oz Reimagined: New Tales from the Emerald City and Beyond is a fun collection of stories, that are similar enough not to feel out of place but different enough to be enjoyed together without getting old. I've only read the first Oz book and I thought I was done with the series but after reading these stories I'm going to dip back in and find out some more about the characters and happenings I've missed.
The stories vary in length and tone with some being suitable for children, much like the source material, while seem are very much not for kids. While the length and tone varied dramatically I thought the stories themselves were universally of good quality and you could really tell that the authors loved the Oz books. While they were all good stories I did have a few of favourites that are worth calling out:
- The Cobbler of Oz by Jonathan Maberry.
- City So Bright by Dale Bailey.
- Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust by Seanan McGuire.
Emeralds to Emeralds was my favourite of the fifteen and I'd happily read a full novel set in this world by Seanan McGuire. In fact, I'm going to go and check out one her other books right now.
Oz Reimagined: New Tales from the Emerald City and Beyond is a fun collection of stories, that are similar enough not to feel out of place but different enough to be enjoyed together without getting old. I've only read the first Oz book and I thought I was done with the series but after reading these stories I'm going to dip back in and find out some more about the characters and happenings I've missed.
March 15, 2013
I'm always leery when I see the word reimagined attached to something I like. So it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I took book in hand to read. I've read all of Baum's Oz books, a number by his successor, Ruth Plumly Thompson(who actually ended up writing more than Baum). and a few by other writers over the years.
Though these are distinctly different from most of the Oz titles, I'm happy to say I was pleased with this book. A number of different writers take a crack at the legends, elaborating on them, adult takes on the characters, as well as a few original ones.
Writers involved include Tad Williams(who weaves one around his own Otherland series), Orson Scott Card, Jonathan Maberry, Simon R. Green, David Farland,Jane Yolen, and Jeffrey Ford. These authors I was familiar with and their were others new to me. All good though.
The book was edited by John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen with a forward by Gregory Maguire, author of his own Oz-inspired series, WICKED. They all tell you right up front that these stories are not for the very young(young adult and up is best).
I enjoyed these and highly recommend the book.
Though these are distinctly different from most of the Oz titles, I'm happy to say I was pleased with this book. A number of different writers take a crack at the legends, elaborating on them, adult takes on the characters, as well as a few original ones.
Writers involved include Tad Williams(who weaves one around his own Otherland series), Orson Scott Card, Jonathan Maberry, Simon R. Green, David Farland,Jane Yolen, and Jeffrey Ford. These authors I was familiar with and their were others new to me. All good though.
The book was edited by John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen with a forward by Gregory Maguire, author of his own Oz-inspired series, WICKED. They all tell you right up front that these stories are not for the very young(young adult and up is best).
I enjoyed these and highly recommend the book.
June 9, 2013
Oz Reimagined is a fine collection of stories. While each has a vague familiarity, they play out more like alternate realities, reusing and reshaping familiar landscapes and characters in quite satisfying ways.
Some stories feel familiar, and some vary in unusual ways. The Oz story is played out during the Chinese Revolution or in a mental hospital. Dorothy revisits the land after many years to find things unchanged and waiting, or vastly changed based on the course her life took. To say more would be to spoil your journey.
The variety of stories is really amazing and makes it fun to discover what's around the next corner. I appreciated that some of the stories used lesser known, or wholly made up, inhabitants of Oz, but the well known ones are very visible, although often altered from your memory.
I loved this anthology of stories about Oz. It's a place in my imagination and memory, and this book serves both well.
Some stories feel familiar, and some vary in unusual ways. The Oz story is played out during the Chinese Revolution or in a mental hospital. Dorothy revisits the land after many years to find things unchanged and waiting, or vastly changed based on the course her life took. To say more would be to spoil your journey.
The variety of stories is really amazing and makes it fun to discover what's around the next corner. I appreciated that some of the stories used lesser known, or wholly made up, inhabitants of Oz, but the well known ones are very visible, although often altered from your memory.
I loved this anthology of stories about Oz. It's a place in my imagination and memory, and this book serves both well.
April 30, 2019
Meh. Not sure what spurred me to purchase this, as I'm not a huge Oz fan *and* I don't much like short stories. It's a mystery. Anyhow, it probably ought to have been predictable that there were only three stories here that I rather liked - Jane Yolen's Blown Away; somewhat surprisingly (not a fan), Orson Scott Card's Off To See The Emperor; and Jonathan Maberry's The Cobbler of Oz. These three, and especially the last, managed to tell reasonably coherent and engaging tales with some depth. None of the others met that standard, at least not for me.
June 24, 2025
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of5
This was the oldest book in my ARC queue. It took me awhile to get to reading this not because of a lack of interest but because a death of a Kindle and a change in Kindle behavior meant I had lost the book to digital atoms. It's because I DID want to read this that I pursued getting my own copy.
I can't imagine anyone who reads fantasy not being familiar with L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (probably first from the movie) even if they aren't aware that there were many books in the series. The student-geared abridged version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was the first book I ever read cover to cover in one day when I was in second grade during a snow day in 1969 (yes, it was special enough that I remember it quite well).
Editors John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen have collected an all-star group of authors to add their own Oz stories into the mythology.
I've wondered why the book has so much appeal, but I think Gregory McGuire nails it in his Foreword:
I don't mean to be sentimental. There's a lot to mistrust about home. It's one of the best reasons for growing up: to get away, to make your own bargain with life, and then to look back upon what terms you accepted because you knew no better, and to assess their value. Travel is broadening precisely because it is away from as well as toward.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this collection, but then I enjoy just about any trip to Oz, so that was to be expected. But as with nearly every anthology I've ever read, most of these stories were good, a couple stood out as being a bit better for me, and a couple seemed to miss the mark.
Perhaps the most unusual of the stories here, was Simon R. Green's "Dorothy Dreams." Here an aged, frail Dorothy dies in her sleep and goes to heaven where she sees everyone she's ever met - including her parents! - and they'll all go happily off to Oz. Not a bad story - just highly unusual. I see on Goodreads that this is considered book (story) number 12.8 in Green's Nightside series. I'm not very familiar with Green's work but found this interesting enough to get the first two books in the Nightside series to check out.
I particularly liked Kat Howard's "A Tornado of Dorothys." This was a little bit darker and maybe not as 'honest' with the franchise as some of the others, but I really liked Howard's writing. I guess I need to look for more of her work.
My favorite, however, is easily "The Cobbler of Oz" by Jonathan Maberry. I liked that we didn't need to see any of the most familiar characters and yet this was still an Oz story. I think that deep down I was hoping for more of these kids of stories - new adventures in Oz with new characters. Here a cobbler is asked to fix he most wonderful traveling shoes ever made - a pair of silver shoes made from dragon scales. But the only way to fix them is to find new dragon scales, and an adventure begins!
Yes, this does seem to push Oz into a new territory - adding dragons into the world - but Maberry makes it work.
My least favorite of the stories is "A Meeting in Oz" by Jeffrey Ford. My note in my Kindle reads: What is the purpose? How is this part of the universe?
Ford starts the story with:
The last time Dorothy returned to Oz, the silver slippers barely fit, the gingham dress was a dust rag in her broom closet back home, and Toto had been in the ground for fifteen years. She carried a briefcase instead of a basket. Her long overcoat covered a rumpled business suit—midlength skirt, a mint-green dress shirt, and a blazer. (...) From the open case, she took a pair of sea green pumps and slipped them on her stockinged feet. Also from the case, she drew a Colt .22 pistol and pocketed it inside her blazer.
Weeds poked up between the yellow bricks of the road, and its famous color was subdued beneath scuff marks and mold.
Dorothy tries to kill the wizard but ... well, he's a Wizard! Instead he sends her off to the Deadly Desert to perish. End.
I really don't understand the need to take something that both offers promise of great beauty and joy AND how we can probably find that beauty and joy right in our own front yards, and turn it into something disturbing to show there's never anything good for anyone. I highly recommend skipping this story.
With the strong exception of one story, this was an enjoyable journey and worthy of being considered part of the Oz canon.
This book contains the following:
Foreword: Oz and Ourselves by Gregory Maguire
Introduction: There’s No Place Like Oz by John Joseph Adams & Douglas Cohen
"The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz" by Rae Carson & C.C. Finlay
"Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust" by Seanan McGuire
"Lost Girls of Oz" by Theodora Goss
"The Boy Detective of Oz: An Otherland Story" by Tad Williams
"Dorothy Dreams" by Simon R. Green
"Dead Blue" by David Farland
"One Flew Over the Rainbow" by Robin Wasserman
"The Veiled Shanghai" by Ken Liu
"Beyond the Naked Eye" by Rachel Swirsky
"A Tornado of Dorothys" by Kat Howard
"Blown Away" by Jane Yolen
"City So Bright" by Dale Bailey
"Off to See the Emperor" by Orson Scott Card
"A Meeting in Oz" by Jeffrey Ford
"The Cobbler of Oz" by Jonathan Maberry
Looking for a good book? Oz Reimagined is a good collection of Oz stories, edited by John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
This was the oldest book in my ARC queue. It took me awhile to get to reading this not because of a lack of interest but because a death of a Kindle and a change in Kindle behavior meant I had lost the book to digital atoms. It's because I DID want to read this that I pursued getting my own copy.
I can't imagine anyone who reads fantasy not being familiar with L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (probably first from the movie) even if they aren't aware that there were many books in the series. The student-geared abridged version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was the first book I ever read cover to cover in one day when I was in second grade during a snow day in 1969 (yes, it was special enough that I remember it quite well).
Editors John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen have collected an all-star group of authors to add their own Oz stories into the mythology.
I've wondered why the book has so much appeal, but I think Gregory McGuire nails it in his Foreword:
I don't mean to be sentimental. There's a lot to mistrust about home. It's one of the best reasons for growing up: to get away, to make your own bargain with life, and then to look back upon what terms you accepted because you knew no better, and to assess their value. Travel is broadening precisely because it is away from as well as toward.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this collection, but then I enjoy just about any trip to Oz, so that was to be expected. But as with nearly every anthology I've ever read, most of these stories were good, a couple stood out as being a bit better for me, and a couple seemed to miss the mark.
Perhaps the most unusual of the stories here, was Simon R. Green's "Dorothy Dreams." Here an aged, frail Dorothy dies in her sleep and goes to heaven where she sees everyone she's ever met - including her parents! - and they'll all go happily off to Oz. Not a bad story - just highly unusual. I see on Goodreads that this is considered book (story) number 12.8 in Green's Nightside series. I'm not very familiar with Green's work but found this interesting enough to get the first two books in the Nightside series to check out.
I particularly liked Kat Howard's "A Tornado of Dorothys." This was a little bit darker and maybe not as 'honest' with the franchise as some of the others, but I really liked Howard's writing. I guess I need to look for more of her work.
My favorite, however, is easily "The Cobbler of Oz" by Jonathan Maberry. I liked that we didn't need to see any of the most familiar characters and yet this was still an Oz story. I think that deep down I was hoping for more of these kids of stories - new adventures in Oz with new characters. Here a cobbler is asked to fix he most wonderful traveling shoes ever made - a pair of silver shoes made from dragon scales. But the only way to fix them is to find new dragon scales, and an adventure begins!
Yes, this does seem to push Oz into a new territory - adding dragons into the world - but Maberry makes it work.
My least favorite of the stories is "A Meeting in Oz" by Jeffrey Ford. My note in my Kindle reads: What is the purpose? How is this part of the universe?
Ford starts the story with:
The last time Dorothy returned to Oz, the silver slippers barely fit, the gingham dress was a dust rag in her broom closet back home, and Toto had been in the ground for fifteen years. She carried a briefcase instead of a basket. Her long overcoat covered a rumpled business suit—midlength skirt, a mint-green dress shirt, and a blazer. (...) From the open case, she took a pair of sea green pumps and slipped them on her stockinged feet. Also from the case, she drew a Colt .22 pistol and pocketed it inside her blazer.
Weeds poked up between the yellow bricks of the road, and its famous color was subdued beneath scuff marks and mold.
Dorothy tries to kill the wizard but ... well, he's a Wizard! Instead he sends her off to the Deadly Desert to perish. End.
I really don't understand the need to take something that both offers promise of great beauty and joy AND how we can probably find that beauty and joy right in our own front yards, and turn it into something disturbing to show there's never anything good for anyone. I highly recommend skipping this story.
With the strong exception of one story, this was an enjoyable journey and worthy of being considered part of the Oz canon.
This book contains the following:
Foreword: Oz and Ourselves by Gregory Maguire
Introduction: There’s No Place Like Oz by John Joseph Adams & Douglas Cohen
"The Great Zeppelin Heist of Oz" by Rae Carson & C.C. Finlay
"Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust" by Seanan McGuire
"Lost Girls of Oz" by Theodora Goss
"The Boy Detective of Oz: An Otherland Story" by Tad Williams
"Dorothy Dreams" by Simon R. Green
"Dead Blue" by David Farland
"One Flew Over the Rainbow" by Robin Wasserman
"The Veiled Shanghai" by Ken Liu
"Beyond the Naked Eye" by Rachel Swirsky
"A Tornado of Dorothys" by Kat Howard
"Blown Away" by Jane Yolen
"City So Bright" by Dale Bailey
"Off to See the Emperor" by Orson Scott Card
"A Meeting in Oz" by Jeffrey Ford
"The Cobbler of Oz" by Jonathan Maberry
Looking for a good book? Oz Reimagined is a good collection of Oz stories, edited by John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
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