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Paradox in Oz
Ozma, the lovely girl ruler of Oz, must find a way to restore the enchantment that keeps her people young. A lovable but puzzling Parrot-Ox named Tempus carries Ozma back through time to seek the source of the aging enchantment
240 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1999
81 people want to read
About the author
Edward Einhorn
17 books22 followersEdward Einhorn is a writer/theater director, based in New York. He has written plays about neurology; picture books about math; adaptations of sci-fi novels; translations of French and Czech absurdists and of ancient Greek drama; puppet theater; modern Oz novels; explorations of economic theory; autobiographical found text dramas; midrashim on Jewish cultural icons; a libretto for an oratorio; and other texts of a less definable nature. He is also the Artistic Director of a theater company, Untitled Theater Company #61: a Theater of Ideas.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 5, 2014
When I finished reading this "children's" book, my head hurt. I became a bit like the Man-Who-Lives-Backwards trying to figure out all the twists and turns, and, yes, paradoxes, of time travel. Had I still been a child, say of about Ozma's age, I might have just read this book and accepted it at face value. THAT, I think, is the real Paradox of Oz.
This story was very well-written in a way that pays homage to Baum, right down to the typeset.
The illustrations, however, are why I picked this book up in the first place. They are wonderfully Art Nouveau, and dovetail perfectly with the original illustrations in the Oz books.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars, but I round up, and there is that gorgeous artwork.
This story was very well-written in a way that pays homage to Baum, right down to the typeset.
The illustrations, however, are why I picked this book up in the first place. They are wonderfully Art Nouveau, and dovetail perfectly with the original illustrations in the Oz books.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars, but I round up, and there is that gorgeous artwork.
December 23, 2017
For the longest of times, there's been an enchantment over the land of Oz that kept people from growing older unless they wished it themselves. Now, however, for some reason, time is starting to creep up on them; people are starting to age, they discover grey hairs or begin experiencing ageing pains and back problems. According to Glinda's Book of Records, this is somehow tied in with the mysterious Man Who Lives Backwards, who is now a baby but used to be a grown man in the past, and of Ozma performing some actions in the past that she has no memory of doing.
Together with Tempus the Parrot-Ox, the single most impossible creature in all of Oz, Ozma goes on a hazardous and illogical journey through time and reality to try and find the adult version of the Man Who Lives Backwards and ask him how she can re-instate the anti-ageing enchantment before her friends and subjects all grow old and die. Along the way, she'll encounter several paradoxes, explore alternate histories, meet several past. present, future and alternate versions of herself, navigate the Absurd City, rescue a princess from a hall of mirrors, discuss strange philosophy with stranger creatures, solve impossible puzzles, and get a very nice haircut.
I've never made a secret out of the fact that I don't like time-travel in fiction. It's such a cliched stock plot and hardly ever used in any sort of interesting way. Well... no rule without an exception, because THIS time-travel book really did use the concept in new and fascinating ways, and it might actually be the best time-travel story I've ever read.
Anyone with more than a casual interest in the Oz book knows that they're riddled with continuity errors and blatant self-contradictions. Even if we only stick to the original books written by L. Frank Baum, he was clearly more interested in what made for a good story than whether or not said story fit perfectly in with what had gone before, and so the number of bigger or smaller details that don't match up are numerous. And if we go into the rest of the Famous Forty, continuity REALLY turns into a confusing mess.
A lot of later Oz authors -- or at least the ones who try their best to stick to the original tone and feel of Baum's Oz -- have done a lot of work to try and fit all of his Oz books into a comprehensible whole, stitching up plot holes and explaining away continuity errors. Some of these stories are even really good.
This book, however, goes the exact opposite route. It wholeheartedly embraces the continuity errors and rather cleverly takes the idea of alternate realities and time-related magic to revel in them. As Ozma journeys through time and encounters herself again and again, discovering the different types of time and making a thorough mess of the space-time continuum, it presents the idea that every single Oz story ever written -- both the ones by Baum and by other authors, the ones that stuck closely to the original and the ones that presented wildly different takes on the land, and even the MGM movie -- is equally valid and "real," just not in the same timelines or realities. There are a ton of hints and shout-outs to other Oz stories and other versions of Oz; probably even more than I could identify, making this a real treat for the hardcore fan as well as the more casual ones.
Much of the book is based around the different concepts of time, paradoxes and "doing the impossible." Tempus the Parrot-Ox is a great character; he's utterly confusing at first, but as the story goes on and we get to see more of the various timelines and impossibilities he traverses, he begins making more and more sense.
It's really nice to see Ozma as the main character of an Oz book. Far too often in these stories she either ends up on the sidelines, or as the traditional damsel-in-distress. Here she really gets to shine, showing of her determination, her unbreakable optimism, and her good humour... as well as the moments of folly and thoughtless stupidity that somehow just adds to her charm. There's a fair bit of development for her in this book: She starts out as utterly confused and lost by the paradoxes and the confusing ways of time travel, but as the story develops she starts understanding how time and paradox work, and is able to not only keep up with Tempus's weirder displays of logic, but find out how to use the paradoxes to her advantage and achieve the impossible.
My only real criticism here is that the alternate "dark" Oz that Ozma finds herself in for a few chapters isn't really explored enough... or rather, the plotline kind of fizzles out in a somewhat unsatisfying way after Ozma meets her alternate-reality counterpart and they fail to hit it off. I would have at least liked to see the alternate versions of Glinda and Mombi get a proper send-off; while they do have a very strong effect on the plot it felt a little disappointing that they just vanished from the narrative like that.
A few nagging little details like that hinders me from giving the book a full five stars... though really, if I could give half-stars here I'd definitely rate the book four and a half stars. It's pretty close in tone and feel to Baum's books -- there's a definite more modern, more sci-fi-ish twist to it, but it's well-incorporated in the story and feels natural for the characters.
All in all, the story manages to be what every Oz story should aspire to be: It's just FUN to read.
It doesn't hurt either that Oz expert extraordinaire, Eric Shanower, has provided illustrations. Granted, I listened to an audiobook version of this (competently narrated by Maxwell Zener) and missed out on most of the illustrations, but the ones I did get to see were just as charming and beautiful as I expect from Eric Shanower.
Together with Tempus the Parrot-Ox, the single most impossible creature in all of Oz, Ozma goes on a hazardous and illogical journey through time and reality to try and find the adult version of the Man Who Lives Backwards and ask him how she can re-instate the anti-ageing enchantment before her friends and subjects all grow old and die. Along the way, she'll encounter several paradoxes, explore alternate histories, meet several past. present, future and alternate versions of herself, navigate the Absurd City, rescue a princess from a hall of mirrors, discuss strange philosophy with stranger creatures, solve impossible puzzles, and get a very nice haircut.
I've never made a secret out of the fact that I don't like time-travel in fiction. It's such a cliched stock plot and hardly ever used in any sort of interesting way. Well... no rule without an exception, because THIS time-travel book really did use the concept in new and fascinating ways, and it might actually be the best time-travel story I've ever read.
Anyone with more than a casual interest in the Oz book knows that they're riddled with continuity errors and blatant self-contradictions. Even if we only stick to the original books written by L. Frank Baum, he was clearly more interested in what made for a good story than whether or not said story fit perfectly in with what had gone before, and so the number of bigger or smaller details that don't match up are numerous. And if we go into the rest of the Famous Forty, continuity REALLY turns into a confusing mess.
A lot of later Oz authors -- or at least the ones who try their best to stick to the original tone and feel of Baum's Oz -- have done a lot of work to try and fit all of his Oz books into a comprehensible whole, stitching up plot holes and explaining away continuity errors. Some of these stories are even really good.
This book, however, goes the exact opposite route. It wholeheartedly embraces the continuity errors and rather cleverly takes the idea of alternate realities and time-related magic to revel in them. As Ozma journeys through time and encounters herself again and again, discovering the different types of time and making a thorough mess of the space-time continuum, it presents the idea that every single Oz story ever written -- both the ones by Baum and by other authors, the ones that stuck closely to the original and the ones that presented wildly different takes on the land, and even the MGM movie -- is equally valid and "real," just not in the same timelines or realities. There are a ton of hints and shout-outs to other Oz stories and other versions of Oz; probably even more than I could identify, making this a real treat for the hardcore fan as well as the more casual ones.
Much of the book is based around the different concepts of time, paradoxes and "doing the impossible." Tempus the Parrot-Ox is a great character; he's utterly confusing at first, but as the story goes on and we get to see more of the various timelines and impossibilities he traverses, he begins making more and more sense.
It's really nice to see Ozma as the main character of an Oz book. Far too often in these stories she either ends up on the sidelines, or as the traditional damsel-in-distress. Here she really gets to shine, showing of her determination, her unbreakable optimism, and her good humour... as well as the moments of folly and thoughtless stupidity that somehow just adds to her charm. There's a fair bit of development for her in this book: She starts out as utterly confused and lost by the paradoxes and the confusing ways of time travel, but as the story develops she starts understanding how time and paradox work, and is able to not only keep up with Tempus's weirder displays of logic, but find out how to use the paradoxes to her advantage and achieve the impossible.
My only real criticism here is that the alternate "dark" Oz that Ozma finds herself in for a few chapters isn't really explored enough... or rather, the plotline kind of fizzles out in a somewhat unsatisfying way after Ozma meets her alternate-reality counterpart and they fail to hit it off. I would have at least liked to see the alternate versions of Glinda and Mombi get a proper send-off; while they do have a very strong effect on the plot it felt a little disappointing that they just vanished from the narrative like that.
A few nagging little details like that hinders me from giving the book a full five stars... though really, if I could give half-stars here I'd definitely rate the book four and a half stars. It's pretty close in tone and feel to Baum's books -- there's a definite more modern, more sci-fi-ish twist to it, but it's well-incorporated in the story and feels natural for the characters.
All in all, the story manages to be what every Oz story should aspire to be: It's just FUN to read.
It doesn't hurt either that Oz expert extraordinaire, Eric Shanower, has provided illustrations. Granted, I listened to an audiobook version of this (competently narrated by Maxwell Zener) and missed out on most of the illustrations, but the ones I did get to see were just as charming and beautiful as I expect from Eric Shanower.
June 15, 2013
This is the perfect book to end the first century of books written about the magical land of Oz and is the best book written in the Oz genre since L. Frank Baum, the founder of the series, died in 1919. Paradox in Oz is Edward Einhorn's first novel and first book about Oz. It is wonderfully written and carefully plotted and does something that even L. Frank Baum had a hard time doing. It tells a wonderful story with Ozma, the fairy ruler of Oz, as the main character.
At the beginning of this work, the enchantment that keeps people from aging in this fairy land has ended and the people are starting to age again. Ozma must travel through time to find out what went wrong and restore the enchantment. A new character - the Parrot-Ox - who is half parrot and half ox and who is always around but only noticable when one is confronting a paradox, helps Ozma.
Eric Shanower is the best living illustrator of Oz books and this book contains his black-and-white illustrations, a delightful color dust jacket, and Escher-like endpapers of interlocking parrot-oxes (parrot-oxen?). The book is produced by Shanower's own press, Hungry Tiger, and is an artistic triumph. It is easy to see who won out when the artist and the publisher disagreed. My favorite drawing is one of six Ozmas chasing each other through a forest.
Oz is an imaginary land that is full of paradoxes. Some exist because it is a magical land, and others were created, often unintentionally, by the authors. Einhorn explores and exploits these many contradictions to create a story that is amusing and entertaining. Readers who are familiar with the original Oz books will find the book covers a lot of Oz history. However, people who have only read one or two Oz books will still find the story enjoyable. It is a rich story that stands up to many readings and a beautiful book that would be a lovely gift.
At the beginning of this work, the enchantment that keeps people from aging in this fairy land has ended and the people are starting to age again. Ozma must travel through time to find out what went wrong and restore the enchantment. A new character - the Parrot-Ox - who is half parrot and half ox and who is always around but only noticable when one is confronting a paradox, helps Ozma.
Eric Shanower is the best living illustrator of Oz books and this book contains his black-and-white illustrations, a delightful color dust jacket, and Escher-like endpapers of interlocking parrot-oxes (parrot-oxen?). The book is produced by Shanower's own press, Hungry Tiger, and is an artistic triumph. It is easy to see who won out when the artist and the publisher disagreed. My favorite drawing is one of six Ozmas chasing each other through a forest.
Oz is an imaginary land that is full of paradoxes. Some exist because it is a magical land, and others were created, often unintentionally, by the authors. Einhorn explores and exploits these many contradictions to create a story that is amusing and entertaining. Readers who are familiar with the original Oz books will find the book covers a lot of Oz history. However, people who have only read one or two Oz books will still find the story enjoyable. It is a rich story that stands up to many readings and a beautiful book that would be a lovely gift.
January 31, 2017
While not one of the Oz books written by Baum, this charming fantasy preserves many of Baum's best elements. It is funny, witty, and enjoyable at every turn. Ozma is at her best in this story of time travel and magical discovery, and the magical creature that makes traveling through time possible-- the Parrot-Ox-- is a brilliant creation. There is only one of him, you see, but he travels through time so often that it's entirely likely that several versions of him will coexist at any given place or time.
This is a really good read, and stands as nearly equal to the best of Baum's work. A hard book to find but worth the read if you can find it.
For more on comics, humanity, morality and the world check out The Stupid Philosopher, aka a place where I put my words.
This is a really good read, and stands as nearly equal to the best of Baum's work. A hard book to find but worth the read if you can find it.
For more on comics, humanity, morality and the world check out The Stupid Philosopher, aka a place where I put my words.
July 3, 2015
Pretty good!
If you're a fan of the original books, I recommend it.
The book stars Ozma, is about time travel, and plays with Oz canon inconsistencies beautifully. What more could you want? Sometimes the prose skews more "young reader" than "all ages," but most Oz fans would consider that a plus anyway.
If you're a fan of the original books, I recommend it.
The book stars Ozma, is about time travel, and plays with Oz canon inconsistencies beautifully. What more could you want? Sometimes the prose skews more "young reader" than "all ages," but most Oz fans would consider that a plus anyway.
June 26, 2013
For a non-Baum book, this was surprisingly good. The author has an excellent way of mimicking Baum's writing style and mannerisms. And I was so excited to see The illustrations- The Age of Bronze graphic novels are excellent and Eric does an amazing job here also.
September 11, 2012
Fun SF in a classic Oz book
December 12, 2012
I read many of the original Oz books as a child -- but I have to say that this is my favorite story set in Oz, even more than the ones written by Baum himself. What I love about this book:
1. It centers around time travel.
2. It features Ozma as the main character.
3. It actually takes Oz canon seriously (which is something the original Oz books themselves don't do very well.)
4. It has gorgeous pictures! (I'll admit that I didn't originally plan on rereading it, but checked it out from the library so that I could practice drawing some of the illustrations.)
1. It centers around time travel.
2. It features Ozma as the main character.
3. It actually takes Oz canon seriously (which is something the original Oz books themselves don't do very well.)
4. It has gorgeous pictures! (I'll admit that I didn't originally plan on rereading it, but checked it out from the library so that I could practice drawing some of the illustrations.)
November 12, 2008
simply amazing!
January 18, 2018
I was given a free copy of this audiobook by the author or narrator in exchange for an honest review.
From the publisher: "Oz is aging! Ozma, the lovely girl ruler of Oz, must find a way to restore the enchantment that keeps her people young and vibrant. A lovable but puzzling Parrot-Ox named Tempus carries Ozma back through time to seek the source of the aging enchantment. Ozma meets strange versions of her closest friends in an alternate timestream: Glinda, the Wizard, the Cowardly Lion, even Ozma herself! Along the way Ozma gains new allies in her quest: the irrepressible Dr. Majestico, the sympathetic Brussle, and the lovely Princess Ayala. Come journey with Ozma on her greatest adventure as she discovers the final amazing secret that involves the old witch Mombi, a city where nothing is what it seems, and the paradoxical future-history of The Man Who Lives Backwards."
I grew up obsessed with the Oz books -- I had all 14 of them, and I re-read them frequently. I Really wanted to love this book. However, this tended more to the sci-fi end of things, rather than the fantasy genre in which Baum concentrated his Oz stories. I am not a sci-fi fan, and this did not ring true to the Oz cannon for me.
From the publisher: "Oz is aging! Ozma, the lovely girl ruler of Oz, must find a way to restore the enchantment that keeps her people young and vibrant. A lovable but puzzling Parrot-Ox named Tempus carries Ozma back through time to seek the source of the aging enchantment. Ozma meets strange versions of her closest friends in an alternate timestream: Glinda, the Wizard, the Cowardly Lion, even Ozma herself! Along the way Ozma gains new allies in her quest: the irrepressible Dr. Majestico, the sympathetic Brussle, and the lovely Princess Ayala. Come journey with Ozma on her greatest adventure as she discovers the final amazing secret that involves the old witch Mombi, a city where nothing is what it seems, and the paradoxical future-history of The Man Who Lives Backwards."
I grew up obsessed with the Oz books -- I had all 14 of them, and I re-read them frequently. I Really wanted to love this book. However, this tended more to the sci-fi end of things, rather than the fantasy genre in which Baum concentrated his Oz stories. I am not a sci-fi fan, and this did not ring true to the Oz cannon for me.
March 31, 2019
Having gotten through all the public domain Oz books that are free to read online, I've begun sinking my teeth into whatever else I can find, be it classic or modern, in the Oz series. Some modern Oz books can seem too fan fictiony, but this one fits right in with the Famous Forty, and might as well be canon. It provides an explanation for all the inconsistencies in the original books too, suggesting that perhaps each Oz book is in its own universe, or at least, the books by different authors.
The story is well-crafted, if a little confusing at times. It is always nice when Ozma actually gets to do something in a story. We get to see a dark version of Oz in the Obsidian City, and Ozma even gets to briefly meet Tip in her time travels. The story is the most fun when Ozma visits Absurd City, where even the illustrations are full of optical illusions and paradoxes. The illustrations are great by the way; I probably stared at the two-page picture of Ozma breaking through the Oz multiverse for 20 minutes with all the hidden gems in it.
Read and reread as I did though, that ending still boggles my mind. I guess it all turned out well? I think? I'm still not entirely sure what happened. Its a book that certainly makes you think.
The story is well-crafted, if a little confusing at times. It is always nice when Ozma actually gets to do something in a story. We get to see a dark version of Oz in the Obsidian City, and Ozma even gets to briefly meet Tip in her time travels. The story is the most fun when Ozma visits Absurd City, where even the illustrations are full of optical illusions and paradoxes. The illustrations are great by the way; I probably stared at the two-page picture of Ozma breaking through the Oz multiverse for 20 minutes with all the hidden gems in it.
Read and reread as I did though, that ending still boggles my mind. I guess it all turned out well? I think? I'm still not entirely sure what happened. Its a book that certainly makes you think.
January 17, 2018
•audiobook•
Conundrums ....
Parrot-Ox or paradox?
Endless riddles with creative solutions
A man who lives backwards
Obsidian City vs Emerald City
King Oz or Wizard of Oz?
A girl in a room of hundreds of mirrors -trying to find the real girl
Historical time, physical time, Oz time, Ozma time
A clock that doesn’t move and a clock in which the minute hand is moved back a tick once a day....
talking to yourself - erm yourselves in different times
Although a somewhat light, lyrical read, Paradox of Oz is full of puzzles, riddles and sensible-nonsensical questions and philosophies!
To find the magic of Oz, Ozma must use her head by losing her mind to understand how to fix it.
Continuous play on words, this can be slightly frustrating -yet rewarding - to follow.
I have read the original Wizard of Oz, but not the rest of the series. I’m very interested in finding those books on librivox because I feel like I missed out on so much!
Mr Einhorn captured the originality of the book and effectively created this addition.
Mr Zener made the confusion less muddy and more enjoyable. Kudos!
~similar review posted on Audible~
Conundrums ....
Parrot-Ox or paradox?
Endless riddles with creative solutions
A man who lives backwards
Obsidian City vs Emerald City
King Oz or Wizard of Oz?
A girl in a room of hundreds of mirrors -trying to find the real girl
Historical time, physical time, Oz time, Ozma time
A clock that doesn’t move and a clock in which the minute hand is moved back a tick once a day....
talking to yourself - erm yourselves in different times
Although a somewhat light, lyrical read, Paradox of Oz is full of puzzles, riddles and sensible-nonsensical questions and philosophies!
To find the magic of Oz, Ozma must use her head by losing her mind to understand how to fix it.
Continuous play on words, this can be slightly frustrating -yet rewarding - to follow.
I have read the original Wizard of Oz, but not the rest of the series. I’m very interested in finding those books on librivox because I feel like I missed out on so much!
Mr Einhorn captured the originality of the book and effectively created this addition.
Mr Zener made the confusion less muddy and more enjoyable. Kudos!
~similar review posted on Audible~
September 22, 2025
I loved this book before I read it! Packed with the whimsical fantasy of Baum's Oz (or "Manifold Ozziverse"), the space-time folding of L'Engel's A Wrinkle in Time, and the wild impossibilities of Adams' Hitchhiker Infinite Improbability Drive—it's my favorite things in one book. There's even a mathematical dusting of Zeno's dichotomy paradox. This is the nerdiest Oz book I'll ever meet, and I ate it up from cover to cover—backward!
The early encounter of the Parrot-Ox, who is "capable of doing nothing at all unless it's impossible," made me laugh out loud. What a brilliant creature (set of creatures?) to reconcile inconsistencies of Baum's original Oz. Ever wonder how the native Ozians recognized the Sawhorse as a horse before they even meet Zeb's horse Jim, the first real horse in Oz? Only the Parrot-Ox knows.
Paradox in Oz contains a surprisingly intricate plot for the book’s smaller size, and it takes a tad more attention to read than any of Baum's originals require. Exploring the inexplicable sudden aging of the Ozians, the book combines many beloved Oz characters (Ozma finally gets her own adventure) with a whole new set of characters like Brussle the bushy barber and The Man Who Lives Backward.
Readers who are well-versed in Baum's Ozziverse will especially love Einhorn's new extension to his canon, but even a casual reader who knows nothing of Oz can enjoy this science fantasy. It's clever, silly, and impossible all at once. Will definitely read again!
The early encounter of the Parrot-Ox, who is "capable of doing nothing at all unless it's impossible," made me laugh out loud. What a brilliant creature (set of creatures?) to reconcile inconsistencies of Baum's original Oz. Ever wonder how the native Ozians recognized the Sawhorse as a horse before they even meet Zeb's horse Jim, the first real horse in Oz? Only the Parrot-Ox knows.
Paradox in Oz contains a surprisingly intricate plot for the book’s smaller size, and it takes a tad more attention to read than any of Baum's originals require. Exploring the inexplicable sudden aging of the Ozians, the book combines many beloved Oz characters (Ozma finally gets her own adventure) with a whole new set of characters like Brussle the bushy barber and The Man Who Lives Backward.
Readers who are well-versed in Baum's Ozziverse will especially love Einhorn's new extension to his canon, but even a casual reader who knows nothing of Oz can enjoy this science fantasy. It's clever, silly, and impossible all at once. Will definitely read again!
January 5, 2021
Paradox was a delightful entry into the long-running Oz series. While not an "official" Oz book it probably should be, time travel and all.
Edward Einhorn delves into a couple of Oz's historical moments in an exciting and characteristically Ozzy way. Ozma is the book's undeniable protagonist. She undertakes a dangerous and confusing adventure to restore Oz's "de-aging" enchantment when its citizens begin to suddenly show telltale signs of aging after being eternally youthful for about 100 years.
Eric Shanower should win awards for his beautiful illustrations. He truly is a worthy successor to John R. Neill as Oz's premiere illustrator.
The storytelling is strong. The story has structure, depth, and the offbeat happenings associated with the land of Oz. The characters are written well.
The story has tension and some dark moments, but most importantly keeps the good-natured feeling associated with the Oz book series.
Edward Einhorn delves into a couple of Oz's historical moments in an exciting and characteristically Ozzy way. Ozma is the book's undeniable protagonist. She undertakes a dangerous and confusing adventure to restore Oz's "de-aging" enchantment when its citizens begin to suddenly show telltale signs of aging after being eternally youthful for about 100 years.
Eric Shanower should win awards for his beautiful illustrations. He truly is a worthy successor to John R. Neill as Oz's premiere illustrator.
The storytelling is strong. The story has structure, depth, and the offbeat happenings associated with the land of Oz. The characters are written well.
The story has tension and some dark moments, but most importantly keeps the good-natured feeling associated with the Oz book series.
March 19, 2018
Oh my heart how I loved this book. Reminded me of when I was younger reading the oz books every summer and now how I want to read them again because of this book. Ozma is dealing with all her people starting to age after for some reason the spell that was used to keep people from aging no longer works. She goes on these adventures trying to fix this and help her people.
July 17, 2020
My 5-star review after my first reading, 7/11/18:
Perfect. Can't say enough about this book. It completely recaptured that sweet feeling of reading the Oz books for the first time when I was little. I've been on quite an Oz kick lately and I've found most of Baum's books a bit aimless and repetitive for my taste. This book actually has structure and a strong plot. And the easy prose glides you through the story. (It amazes me how some books today with clunky, overwrought prose can do so well.)
Oz, to me, is a very singular phenomenon. Similar to, say, X-Men comics, stories set in a universe and interpreted again and again through the decades by different writers and artists. Except Oz has been in the public domain for a long time now and out from under the yolk of one publisher, it has become almost a genre in itself. You name it, there has been an Oz take on it. Horror, spy, steampunk, adult, etc. Personally, excepting the delightfully demented Oz Squad, I like the stories that hew close to the originals in genre and tone. Paradox in Oz did so but the sf elements make it something special.
Ozma as a lead was a fantastic idea and felt fresh. The attention to Baum’s continuity was tight. My favorte thing about this book is it's high readability factor. The paradoxes are fun to work out, and so are spotting the various famous riddles and optical illusions given life. I will definitely while away a few more afternoons with this storybook. Honestly, the only thing missing was a snarky familiar in the vein of Billina or Eureka. Or a conceited jerk like Scraps, that live-wire element.
I would heartily recommend this to Oz fans, SF/Fantasy fans in general, fans of TNG's Cause and Effect, Timecrimes, Triangle, Crime Traveller, etc.
I'm not usually big on pastiche, except for some Holmes stuff, but Paradox in Oz left me wanting more. I meant to order it straight from Hungry Tiger Press when I saw they had a newer edition with more of Eric Shanower's charming, beautiful illustrations, but I forgot and ordered a copy from elsewhere. I’ll give this one to a niece or nephew and order that newer edition at some point, though. The chapter set in the Escherian Absurd City demands it. (Fingers crossed.)
By the by, my Oz kick also included a re-read of Shanower’s and Skottie Young's Oz adaptations from Marvel (4 and 5 stars only because the later Baum books get a little stale) as well as Shanower's own comics work (solid 5 stars for originality.) In a just world, a more Ozzy world, Hungry Tiger Press would be minting themselves gold bricks with more work by Einhorn and Shanower. (Clumsy, sure, but you must appreciate my gusto.)
My 6-star review after my second reading, 7/15/20:
Paradox in Oz is the best Oz book of them all: fight me. This is Oz as you never seen it before yet still clearly the Oz you know and love. Edward Einhorn perfectly marries science-fiction and fantasy, and retains Baum’s whimsical sense of humor, and delivers a true treat for his readers. Really, this book is just sparkling with imagination, wit, and creativity—the very qualities that made so many of us become permanently enchanted with the land of Oz in the first place.
I sorely wish this would be adapted into a graphic novel. This illustrations by Eric Shanower are brilliant, and somebody should pay him a ton of money to draw this story. This would also make a great film, too, animated or live action. I’d especially love to see the Escheresque craziness of Absurd City in action. Sadly, we’re likelier to get 10 more reboots or retellings of MGM’s classic than of any non-Wicked Oz book. Maybe the difficulty of this particular book is its difficulty. I thought of giving this to some of my young relatives but I don’t think they’d be able to follow it, despite the simple prose, due to both the vocabulary and the concepts. However, when they get a little older I’ll definitely be giving them copies.
Finally, the book is really lovingly packaged: bright, beautiful wrap-around cover (depicting a scene from the narrative and not random posing), charming front and back matter. This is the kind of book you can read again and again, and I can’t think of a better way to riddle away a sunny afternoon. If ever there were a love letter to Oz, this is it. I can’t wait to read it again in a few years.
Perfect. Can't say enough about this book. It completely recaptured that sweet feeling of reading the Oz books for the first time when I was little. I've been on quite an Oz kick lately and I've found most of Baum's books a bit aimless and repetitive for my taste. This book actually has structure and a strong plot. And the easy prose glides you through the story. (It amazes me how some books today with clunky, overwrought prose can do so well.)
Oz, to me, is a very singular phenomenon. Similar to, say, X-Men comics, stories set in a universe and interpreted again and again through the decades by different writers and artists. Except Oz has been in the public domain for a long time now and out from under the yolk of one publisher, it has become almost a genre in itself. You name it, there has been an Oz take on it. Horror, spy, steampunk, adult, etc. Personally, excepting the delightfully demented Oz Squad, I like the stories that hew close to the originals in genre and tone. Paradox in Oz did so but the sf elements make it something special.
Ozma as a lead was a fantastic idea and felt fresh. The attention to Baum’s continuity was tight. My favorte thing about this book is it's high readability factor. The paradoxes are fun to work out, and so are spotting the various famous riddles and optical illusions given life. I will definitely while away a few more afternoons with this storybook. Honestly, the only thing missing was a snarky familiar in the vein of Billina or Eureka. Or a conceited jerk like Scraps, that live-wire element.
I would heartily recommend this to Oz fans, SF/Fantasy fans in general, fans of TNG's Cause and Effect, Timecrimes, Triangle, Crime Traveller, etc.
I'm not usually big on pastiche, except for some Holmes stuff, but Paradox in Oz left me wanting more. I meant to order it straight from Hungry Tiger Press when I saw they had a newer edition with more of Eric Shanower's charming, beautiful illustrations, but I forgot and ordered a copy from elsewhere. I’ll give this one to a niece or nephew and order that newer edition at some point, though. The chapter set in the Escherian Absurd City demands it. (Fingers crossed.)
By the by, my Oz kick also included a re-read of Shanower’s and Skottie Young's Oz adaptations from Marvel (4 and 5 stars only because the later Baum books get a little stale) as well as Shanower's own comics work (solid 5 stars for originality.) In a just world, a more Ozzy world, Hungry Tiger Press would be minting themselves gold bricks with more work by Einhorn and Shanower. (Clumsy, sure, but you must appreciate my gusto.)
My 6-star review after my second reading, 7/15/20:
Paradox in Oz is the best Oz book of them all: fight me. This is Oz as you never seen it before yet still clearly the Oz you know and love. Edward Einhorn perfectly marries science-fiction and fantasy, and retains Baum’s whimsical sense of humor, and delivers a true treat for his readers. Really, this book is just sparkling with imagination, wit, and creativity—the very qualities that made so many of us become permanently enchanted with the land of Oz in the first place.
I sorely wish this would be adapted into a graphic novel. This illustrations by Eric Shanower are brilliant, and somebody should pay him a ton of money to draw this story. This would also make a great film, too, animated or live action. I’d especially love to see the Escheresque craziness of Absurd City in action. Sadly, we’re likelier to get 10 more reboots or retellings of MGM’s classic than of any non-Wicked Oz book. Maybe the difficulty of this particular book is its difficulty. I thought of giving this to some of my young relatives but I don’t think they’d be able to follow it, despite the simple prose, due to both the vocabulary and the concepts. However, when they get a little older I’ll definitely be giving them copies.
Finally, the book is really lovingly packaged: bright, beautiful wrap-around cover (depicting a scene from the narrative and not random posing), charming front and back matter. This is the kind of book you can read again and again, and I can’t think of a better way to riddle away a sunny afternoon. If ever there were a love letter to Oz, this is it. I can’t wait to read it again in a few years.
June 3, 2017
Paradox in Oz is a whimsical if dark excursion that smashes together L. Frank Baum's world with elements of science fiction (e.g., time travel, alternate universes). Ozma and the titular "Parrot Ox" (a half parrot, half ox, wonderfully brought to life by illustrator Eric Shanower) go into alternate time streams and other dimensions to address the fact that all the inhabitants of Oz have begun to age. The journey they take is so baroque, so intricately conceived, it quickly becomes (to borrow a concept relevant to Einhorn's theatrical resume) Absurd, impossible to keep track of. This, and the darkness of what they encounter (including anti-versions of themselves and all their friends, and a literally all-black Obsidian City instead of the familiar Emerald one) smacks as much of Lewis Carroll as of Baum, although Einhorn's prose style retains the sweet simplicity one associates with the American author (indeed it's a pretty adept imitation of Baum's voice).
At any rate, if I could go back in time... I certainly would choose to read this book again!
At any rate, if I could go back in time... I certainly would choose to read this book again!
January 8, 2009
I discovered this book by accident in 2003, when my friend was working at the Museum of Comic Book Art in NYC during the summer invited me to their Comic Convention. I picked it up as I love Oz books, having grown up reading them and I have an original book with color plates. I even got the illustrator to sign my book and draw a little scarecrow with it. I enjoyed reading the book.
March 30, 2011
Fun read, for those who like the Oz series. Rather confusing when they try to explain the time paradoxes present, but I just kept reading & enjoyed the characters, skipping the jokey scientific parts.
October 20, 2018
This author and illustrator get Baum and Neill. I'm going to go as far as say that if it isn't canon, it should be. It's the most Oz like Oz book I've read outside of Baum and Thompson's works.
http://www.pussreboots.com/blog/2018/...
http://www.pussreboots.com/blog/2018/...
August 23, 2011
Time travel, alternate dimensions, and parot-oxes. Good stuff, and a diving point into making all "ozziverses" canon.
March 9, 2025
Of all the sequals/Oz books penned by not-L Frank Baum, this is my favorite/the only one I consider belonging to the same world. Real ones know!!
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