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Paradox in Oz

Edward Einhorn (Goodreads Author),

Eric Shanower (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator)

4.20 · Rating details · 66 ratings · 20 reviews

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

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Hardcover, 240 pages

Published May 1st 2000 by Hungry Tiger Press (first published May 1st 1999)

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Lists with This Book

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum

Books about Oz

144 books — 81 voters

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Average rating 4.20 ·

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· 66 ratings · 20 reviews

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Apr 05, 2014 Karen rated it it was amazing

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 ...more

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Dec 23, 2017 Hyaroo Hyaroo rated it really liked it

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 pe 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. ...more

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Jun 15, 2013 Orion rated it it was amazing

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 ...more

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Dec 30, 2008 Matthew rated it really liked it

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 ...more

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Jul 03, 2015 Daisy McGuire rated it really liked it

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. ...more

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Jun 26, 2013 Gail rated it really liked it

Shelves: childrens, fantasy, 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. ...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Benedict rated it really liked it

Fun SF in a classic Oz book

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Nov 29, 2012 Cherise rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2012, middle-grade

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 ...more

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Nov 11, 2008 Tessa rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: everyone who likes the oz books

simply amazing!

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Jan 17, 2018 Nicole Thompson rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook

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 O ...more

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Mar 31, 2019 Suren Oganessian rated it it was amazing

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.

Th ...more

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Jan 16, 2018 Emmy rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook

•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 i ...more

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Jan 04, 2021 Christopher Schmehl rated it it was amazing

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.
E ...more

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Mar 19, 2018 Mandy rated it it was amazing

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.

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Jul 17, 2018 Jameson rated it it was amazing

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, 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. ...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Trav S.D. rated it really liked it

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 ...more

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Nov 18, 2008 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy-and-sci-fi

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.

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Mar 30, 2011 Kim rated it really liked it

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.

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May 21, 2018 Sarah Sammis rated it it was amazing

Shelves: borrowed, road-narrative-spectrum, read-in-2018, beatthebacklist-2018, reviewed-in-2018, fantasy

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/... ...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Adrian rated it it was amazing

Shelves: oz

Time travel, alternate dimensions, and parot-oxes. Good stuff, and a diving point into making all "ozziverses" canon. ...more

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About Edward Einhorn

Edward Einhorn

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Edward 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 ...more