Introduction

by Joe Bongiorno

“I thought the Wizard of Oz was just a movie!?” is the line usually spoken when someone discovers that Oz is more than the 1939 MGM film.  Indeed Oz extends much further back – to the dawn of the last century  –  precisely 1900 to be exact, when The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was first released to critical and commercial success.  The series that developed from that first book –  over forty volumes of imaginative and endearing children’s fantasy literature –  has earned the moniker of 'classic' by having establishing not only one of the first strictly American fairy tales, but by being one of the first fantasy sagas to grow with the years, spawning numerous sequels that continue to expand on the characters and setting of the original books.  Before Tolkien, before Lewis, there was Baum...

The timelines represented here serve as chronologies and compilations of nearly all of the Oz stories that have been written in the century that has passed since L. Frank Baum first wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  The baseline, or measuring stick, for several of the timelines here is the original book series commonly known as the ‘Famous Forty,' which was published by Reilly & Lee from the years of 1903 to 1963 (though they reprinted The Wizard of Oz it was George M. Hill who first published it in 1900).  In addition, there are currently over a half-dozen or so stories written by the original authors of the Famous Forty (originally termed the ‘quasi-famous seven’) that form the basis of what many consider to be ‘canon.’  This is not always agreed upon, and in fact, some only accept Baum's books as having "actually" occurred, while others argue that only the first six are valid, and others only the first two, and some only the first! 

While some of these views might be understood, it is the purpose of this timeline to present a coherent framework of Oz stories that includes all of the Famous Forty (abbreviated FF) and those sequels which adhere to its historicity and level of quality.  The purpose is to help readers newly endeavoring upon the Oz series, as well as writers who would like to add their own stories to the growing chronology and wish to maintain a measure of cohesion within an established framework.  Note that I have not included films, stage plays, or television cartoons that have been spawned from the books.  While worthwhile and enjoyable endeavors, they all invariably contradict the books themselves (including Baum's own stage productions) and would justify an entire website devoted just to them.  This, of course, includes the beloved 1939 MGM musical.

L. Frank Baum was the first one to begin the amusing fiction of referring to himself as “Royal Historian of Oz” and his stories as “histories” that had somehow been related to him.  In imaginative fiction of this sort, it is an entertaining and amusing device that adds to a certain suspension of disbelief appropriate to the medium.  Later writers (and filmmakers) would employ such a device to great success in their works (among fantasy writers certainly J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, Conan Doyle and H.P. Lovecraft utilized this concept to varying degrees).  Therefore, in keeping with the spirit of these writers, we approach the following as if they were historical accounts of an actual world.  Unlike the 1939 musical, Oz is not a dream, but a real place...

For those considering entering into the literary world of Oz for the first time, do not let the enormous wealth of material deter you.  Most of the stories you'll find, particularly of the FF, can be read out of timeline order with barely negligible loss of comprehension, and the majority of writers went out of their way to re-cap previous important events and characters.  And while it may be enlightening to follow the accounts in their proper sequence –  and certainly one of the main functions of this timeline –  it is after all only one way to read the Oz series.  Many of the Oz books are stand-alone adventures that do not necessarily depend on previous stories to be enjoyed. 

So, whether you’re aim is to read a few books or many, you'll find yourself embarking upon a memorable and exciting journey.  For would-be future historians as well as those of you who have read these books as children, young adults or older adults with childlike hearts, I hope that this chronology will serve as a roadmap and guide for you, whether you simply need a checklist for those stories you never knew existed or if you’ve decided to return to the mysterious mountains, rambling forests, and strange and unexplored realms of the Land of Oz...

On matters of continuity

  The purpose of this timeline is not to rectify issues of continuity, a task far beyond the scope of this work and left to the chroniclers of new Ozian lore to accomplish.  Merely, it presents the stories in what this archivist believes to be their most probable placements as to when they might occur.  You, the reader, are free to agree fully, partially or not at all...

  As regards those pesky continuity errors that creep in from time to time, keep in mind that even Earth’s own historians from ancient times to the present have made mistakes in their accounts.  So too with the historians of Oz.  It should likewise be noted that what at times might seem like a contradiction may instead be a matter of not having all the facts.  Perhaps, there is a tale that has not yet to be told (or that you haven’t read).  Regardless, one need not be too dismayed by such minor distractions.  Oz is a fairyland after all and strange things do and often occur.  For a lengthier discussion of this topic, please head over to Appendix A II.

  Due to the fact that several authors took the mantle of storytelling following the close of the FF, there are several divergent strains of history that exist which cannot be reconciled with one another.  I do not attempt to make a distinction in terms of which of these strands is the most 'true' of them.  Rather, I present all of these as parallel Oz universes, in which all Ozziverses co-exist together as equal histories of what may have occurred.  The so-called mainline timeline is merely the one in which I happen to view as Timeline 'A.'  In the Other Histories of Oz section, Deadly Desert, and Dark Side are found Timelines 'B' and on through the alphabet.

Then there are many tales that contradict the 'Famous Forty' and which in their intent distort the Baumian view of Oz.  Of course, Baum himself was not a stickler for continuity and his stage productions contained numerous contradictions to his books.  So here again, readers are encouraged to make up their own minds on these 'alternate Ozziverses.'  Those who've read and accept Edward Einhorn's wonderful book Paradox in Oz may allow for the existence of these strange and otherworldly Ozziverses!  Finally, regarding those Oz stories that are but forays into softcore porn and violence, I have noted them with a warning (especially for parents) in the Dark Side of Oz section solely for the sake of completeness.  Do with them as you will.

 By no means are these chronologies free from error.  Much educated guesswork goes into a project of this sort, and though every effort has been made towards accuracy, a few errors are bound to have crept in here or there.  With so many stories in existence, it's not beyond the realm of reason for me to have overlooked something that another person later discovers.  This timeline, like any other, is constantly in flux as new discoveries are made, new stories are added and errors are corrected. Very likely, even as you are reading this, I am in the process of altering the placement of something or adding a newly discovered tale.  So, if it pleases you, drop me a line if you think you might have a better resolution to the placement of a story, if you've written a story, or even just to say 'Hi'.  Contact me (Joe) at: Oz@timelineuniverse.net.