<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Oz is a fictional land created by L. Frank Baum in his 1900 novel The Wizard of Oz.

It has four major political divisions, plus a ruling city.

The most important characteristic of Oz is not revealed until the second book. No one can die. They can be chopped into pieces, but not die. Many fans consider the second book (The Marvelous Land of Oz) the actual beginning of the series.

Baum went on to write 14 Oz books. The official series was then continued by other authors.

In the 1950s, a Russian series of books was started by Alexander Volkov. While based on the American Oz books, they have their own feel. During the Cold War, some Russians may not have even realized there was an American series.

Eventually, the books fell into public domain, which resulted in many other versions.

The 1939 movie, starring Judy Garland, is the most famous media adaptation, but there have been many of them. In fact, it has become common for sitcoms to do a Wizard of Oz episode, often a dream sequence, in which characters from the show become Oz characters.