The Land of Oz edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane is an anthology about Oz, the wonderful world that can also be quite terrifying. The stories explore different genres like mystery, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. You will be delighted, terrified, heartbroken, and enthralled.
Oz comprises 40 books that are considered the “canon” for the series. Though most audiences only know one, the first book of Oz, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. L. Frank Baum wrote the original 14 books, and other authors completed the rest of the 40.
Oz to some is just a children’s book, but others view it as a satire about America, with the Scarecrow representing the farmer, the Tin Man the steel industry, the Lion the factory workers, and the Yellow Brick Road the railroad. The short stories view it as both.
The most memorable and best stories, in my opinion, were the stories that took chances and did not play it safe in the world of Oz. Delilah S. Dawson’s story imagines the brutal world of Zo, which is the haunted mirror image of Oz where everything is broken and put back together. Louise Carey’s story is about a worker who was turned into a machine for his family, where the story becomes a satire of coal miners.
No stories in this collection are bad. I enjoyed parts of all of them. Of the ones I didn’t enjoy as much, it was more about pacing and the stories taking too long to get to the point.
The book had five standout stories. Two were from authors I have read before, M.R. Carey and Christina Henry. Two were authors I’ve been wanting to try, Delilah S. Dawson and Jonathan Maberry. And one author that was not on my radar at all, Louise Carey.
The Land of Oz was first published on September 1, 2026, by Titan Books.
Why did I read The Land of Oz edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane?
I read anthologies to try out new authors, and in this case, I loved the world of Oz and wanted to see two authors I know explore it. There’s a lot to explore, and the writers had fun with that.
I was the most curious to check out Delilah S. Dawson, who did not disappoint, and Adrian Tchaikovsky, who has the one story not really connected to Oz. That hurt my enjoyment a little because I kept waiting for Oz to creep in, and it did not happen. But I did like the writing.
I received an advanced copy of The Land of Oz through NetGalley and Titan Books. I did request this one to try out the new authors, and I have been craving another reimagining from Christina Henry.
Ranking of The Land of Oz Stories from Least Favorite to Favorite
Just a reminder that there was not truly a bad story in the anthology. I rate and do a mini review on each story as I finish it. I will show my thoughts and a small non-spoiler summary.
13. Al Jinjur’s Last Stand by Una McCormack
Al Jinjur’s Last Stand is a story about a group of girls in Oz who are convinced their neighbor is a witch. Two girls are dared to find out, and it leads to surprising results.
This story was okay. I liked the message that being different is okay. The story was very girl power, which I liked. I did not like the title at all.
This is another story that went on too long. The story fills in events from a different perspective that weren’t needed.
12. Heart’s Desire by Robert Shearman
Heart’s Desire is about an old widowed man dealing with his loss. He wants to restore his wife’s overgrown garden. He gets angry at a stone and removes it, but it wasn’t an ordinary stone. It was a yellow one.
Soon Dorothy comes through, having lost her way, and asks about a yellow pathway that the old man lies about.
The story is about grief and loss. It was good, but it went on too long. This is the saddest story and has a lot of metaphors about home.
I liked the beginning and the writing. The story comes full circle, which I appreciated, but it took too long to make its point.
11. Rose and Emerald by Catlin Rozakis
Rose and Emerald is a story about the Tin Man’s first love before he lost his heart.
Rose is a girl who was given rose-colored glasses that stay on her head. That is the way she views the world. She finds out that the Tin Man did not have an accident, but it was a spell. Rose is on a mission to find the Tin Man and see where their love stands.
The story had a great beginning. It used passages from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz about the Tin Man and his lost love. I liked the first half of the story, then it lost its footing.
The ending has a bit of a surprise that I liked but was not expecting. The story nails the rose-colored outlook and the idea of only having so much love in your heart.
10. The Wizard of the Bookish Omnibus by Paul Magrs
The Wizard of the Bookish Omnibus is about a bus library that an old retired man created. His readings of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from memory are fun since he keeps forgetting parts.
The town already has a library and wants the bus gone. The story is told from a boy’s POV who is having trouble at home.
The story is kind of about the loss of magic, with reality coming in. I loved the old man. I wanted a more solid ending.
I thought the story was trying to do a little too much for a short story, but it was a good attempt.
9. The Other Foot by Stark Holborn
The Other Foot is a noir set in Oz that reminded me of Roger Rabbit, because the detective is a boot brought to life by the Power of Life.
He investigates a murder with items missing. The story has fun with the premise but could have gone farther. There’s a good gumshoe vibe in there, and he likes a leg.
The writing style took a bit to get into, and it was hard to picture at first. I ended up enjoying most of the story.
8. The Door to Oz by Simon R. Green
The Door to Oz is a story where everything in Oz was true. When Dorothy returns, she writes a memoir that is turned into The Wizard of Oz movie.
Dorothy gets rich from the movie and merchandising. Twenty years later, she is head of her own global organization, the Oz Foundation. She gives access to a young local reporter from the Kansas Star.
The story had good world building and a good idea. The story has fun with what happens when someone comes back from Oz and how it changes you in surprising ways.
There are a lot of great reveals involving characters from Oz hidden in our world. I thought the story was decent.
7. Heartless by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Heartless is about AI robots and a system called Heartless.
This story is a stretch to include in this anthology. It does not involve Oz at all. Heartless robots and the Tin Man are the connection.
The story is about developers who have to go to war because someone is changing their AI and helping the insurgents. The story is about morality and who is the enemy.
It is a good story, but as a reader, I was waiting for an Oz connection that does not show up.
6. The Bluejay by Ian Whates
The Bluejay is the story of a bluejay making his way to Oz in the same cyclone that Dorothy did.
The Bluejay gets to be the hero of the story and interacts with some of the characters in Oz. I thought the story was very clever.
The dialogue could have been better, but it was a cute story overall.
5. The Little House on the Kansas Prairie by Jonathan Maberry
The Little House on the Kansas Prairie is a story taking place after Dorothy comes back from Oz.
This story was a creepy fever dream horror story. It reminded me a little of the expanded The Stand, when you think the danger is over but it still lingers.
I love what the story did with the house falling on the Wicked Witch of the East. Even though we saw no blood, it didn’t mean the house wasn’t stained with it.
4. Final Report on the Rex Rembrandt Affair (by Scraps, the Patchwork of Oz) by M.R. Carey
Final Report on the Rex Rembrandt Affair is about a master thief and con man meeting a frustrated magician from Oz.
The magician is in London at a bar. He shows the man his magic powder that can make inanimate objects come alive. The thief swindles him and sets about making action figures into thieves.
The story is crazy and about creation and God. The story is very humorous and has a lot of fun with morality.
It is a little lost in its connection to Oz, but it is better than some of the other stories.
M.R. Carey’s writing really shines. I love the way he wrote the Patchwork Girl in rhyming poetry.
3. Silver & Gold by Christina Henry
Silver & Gold is a reimagining of Dorothy meeting the Wizard and others in the real world before Oz.
There’s a lot that can be spoiled, so I won’t say any more.
This story is a horror story. I was the most excited to read Christina Henry’s story, and she delivered. I love her reimagining and where her mind goes.
There are so many little Easter eggs. The story went in ways that I did not expect. Good character work all around.
2. The Poor Work Man by Louise Carey
The Poor Work Man is about a miner named Mr. Drill who has been changed like the Tin Man, with drill fingers and more machine than human.
He works in the hope that he can get back to his family. He meets someone from the world up above, and it changes his life.
This story was my favorite so far. It was heartfelt, original, and fit well in the land of Oz. The story had a lot of twists and turns.
I thought the story had the heart of Oz, where there is the surface level fantasy, but more under the surface about the miner being a slave, and really playing into the satire of Oz.
The only thing that I didn’t like was the report at the beginning. I didn’t feel it was necessary for the story, but it was very brief.
1. The Lost Princess of Zo by Delilah S. Dawson
The Lost Princess of Zo is a brutal horror tale of Dorothy trapped in the opposite land of Oz, a land called Zo.
It is a land ruled by stuffed bears that want you to look just like them. Dawson has a lot of fun with being cruel.
This story is terrifying. It is the most memorable story so far.
Even though this is a horror story, it is one of the stories closest to the original Oz. This story is so dark, and I loved it.
Recommendation:
The Land of Oz is a great anthology that lets authors take chances and add to the world they are exploring.
I love all the genres that get explored, and I think that will lead me to recommending The Land of Oz to more people because there is a little something for everyone.
The editing team of Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane have in the past done a Wonderland-set anthology, which I’m now very interested in.
I recommend my followers check out The Land of Oz. It was a fun anthology with a lot of variety.
Rating:
The Land of Oz edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane
4 out of 5 stars
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