The Emerald City of Oz

American author L. Frank Baum is best known for the enduring Oz series, including The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its thirteen sequels. Baum also penned numerous fantasy novels and other works such as American Fairy Tales, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, and The Enchanted Island of Yew under his own name and many pseudonyms including Edith Van Dyne, Susanne Metcalf, Laura Bancroft, and Floyd Akers. Baum's prose focused on what he believed children are most interested in, and his works are remarkable for their lack of romantic plot. Baum also predicted future inventions such as television, augmented reality, laptop computers, wireless telephones, and advertising on clothing. His works, particularly the Oz books, have been an inspiration for many fantasy novels and have been widely adapted for film and stage. Baum died in 1919, nine days short of his 63rd birthday.