Wednesday, January 17, 2018

This Week's Oz Short Story

Yes, I'm a little behind in posting, but I at least managed to read this week's story over the long holiday weekend. And I took advantage of that long weekend to go back and read the first story from the 1988 issue, "The Computer Wizard Makes a Comeback" by Phyllis Ann Karr, illustrated by Melody Grandy. Yes, this is a sequel to "A Computer Wizard in Oz" from the 1986 issue, one of the extremely few times Oziana has ever published a sequel. Using his futuristic computing skills, the Computer Wizard starts carrying out his sentence after his last attempt to conquer Oz and teaches computing to Ozma, Glinda, and the Wizard, while giving other citizens of the Emerald City excursions to virtual worlds. (I was especially taken with the illustration of the Scarecrow playing 3-D chess with Mr. Spock. Now there's a crossover I'd like to see!) Of course, all this disguises the Computer Wizard's next attempt to conquer Oz, which he springs on the one year anniversary of his first attempt—during one of the many parties Ozma holds in the palace, of course. The Computer Wizard doesn't take one flaw in his plan into account, however, which again proves to be his downfall. Another fun romp with a group of players spinning a tale of Oz for their own amusement, and a lot less technospeak to become quickly outdated, so it feels more possible and relevant thirty years later.

No comments: