March Laumer
Encyclopedia
March Laumer was an American author, primarily of books on the Land of Oz
.
March Laumer was born in Birmingham, Alabama
, the son of an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was the older brother of science fiction
writer Keith Laumer
; their youngest brother Frank was also a writer, on historical subjects. March Laumer graduated from the University of Missouri
, and taught abroad, including in Ying Wa College (1965-67)in Hong Kong
and Turkey
. Much of his maturity was spent between residences in Florida
and Lund, Sweden.
March began writing his Oz books in 1962 (one year before the publication of the fortieth and last "official" Oz book, Merry Go Round in Oz). He was a frequent correspondent of Ruth Plumly Thompson
until her death in 1976. Most of Laumer's books were published by his own small press
, Opium Books, in Hong Kong, or Vanitas Press in Lund, Sweden, often with illustrations by Lau Shiu Fan. Laumer's books often make drastic changes to the series and involve adult themes that have led some fans to label them pornography
based on some oblique and non-negative references to bestiality and pederasty
in The Green Dolphin of Oz (1978), his best known and most widely-circulated book, as well as the first to be published. Many of his manuscripts were works in progress for many years, and some of them may have been discarded.
Laumer wrote his books set at specific periods of time, some of them projected into the future. He also incorporated characters and events from the Magic Land books of Alexander Melentyevich Volkov
, particularly in Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in Oz: A Traditional Tale of Oz: a darker, more extreme companion piece telling essentially the same story as his more Baumian Uncle Henry and Aunt Em in Oz: The Oz Book for 1911, as well as his apocalyptic conclusions to the series, The Ten Woodmen of Oz: The Oz Book for 1999, and A Farewell to Oz: The Oz Book for 2000.
He also proposed numerous other titles such as Jim the Cab-Horse of Oz that he was not able to write before his death. Another book, Fattywiggins and the Caresso-Pigs of Oz was left unfinished and undated, but is available on his website. The Talking City of Oz (1999) is a novel he edited for Ron Baxley, Jr..
He also wrote several non-Oz SF/fantasy works, including Aillin o' My Dreams (A Fantasia on Irish Themes), Fountains, Fireworks and Balloons, and Gay Bravery.
The literary remains of March Laumer was donated to the University Library of Lund, Sweden.
Land of Oz
Oz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
.
March Laumer was born in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, the son of an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was the older brother of science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
writer Keith Laumer
Keith Laumer
John Keith Laumer was an American science fiction author. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, he was an officer in the United States Air Force and a U.S. diplomat...
; their youngest brother Frank was also a writer, on historical subjects. March Laumer graduated from the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, and taught abroad, including in Ying Wa College (1965-67)in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Much of his maturity was spent between residences in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and Lund, Sweden.
March began writing his Oz books in 1962 (one year before the publication of the fortieth and last "official" Oz book, Merry Go Round in Oz). He was a frequent correspondent of Ruth Plumly Thompson
Ruth Plumly Thompson
Ruth Plumly Thompson was an American writer of children's stories.-Life and work:An avid reader of Baum's books and a lifelong children's writer, Thompson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and began her writing career in 1914 when she took a job with the Philadelphia Public Ledger; she wrote...
until her death in 1976. Most of Laumer's books were published by his own small press
Small press
Small press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts...
, Opium Books, in Hong Kong, or Vanitas Press in Lund, Sweden, often with illustrations by Lau Shiu Fan. Laumer's books often make drastic changes to the series and involve adult themes that have led some fans to label them pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
based on some oblique and non-negative references to bestiality and pederasty
Pederasty
Pederasty or paederasty is an intimate relationship between an adult and an adolescent boy outside his immediate family. The word pederasty derives from Greek "love of boys", a compound derived from "child, boy" and "lover".Historically, pederasty has existed as a variety of customs and...
in The Green Dolphin of Oz (1978), his best known and most widely-circulated book, as well as the first to be published. Many of his manuscripts were works in progress for many years, and some of them may have been discarded.
Laumer wrote his books set at specific periods of time, some of them projected into the future. He also incorporated characters and events from the Magic Land books of Alexander Melentyevich Volkov
Alexander Melentyevich Volkov
Alexander Melentyevich Volkov was a Soviet novelist and mathematician.He wrote several historical novels, but is mostly remembered for a series of children's books based on L...
, particularly in Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in Oz: A Traditional Tale of Oz: a darker, more extreme companion piece telling essentially the same story as his more Baumian Uncle Henry and Aunt Em in Oz: The Oz Book for 1911, as well as his apocalyptic conclusions to the series, The Ten Woodmen of Oz: The Oz Book for 1999, and A Farewell to Oz: The Oz Book for 2000.
Works
This is a list of his Oz books in order of continuity, not the order that they were published.- A Fairy Queen in Oz (1989)
- The China Dog of Oz (with Ruth Tuttle) (1990)
- Uncle Henry and Aunt Em in Oz: The Oz Book for 1911 (with Chris Dulabone) (1984)
- The Careless Kangaroo of Oz: The Oz Book for 1912 (1988)
- The Crown of Oz (with Michael J. Michanczyk) (1991)
- The Charmed Gardens of Oz (1988)
- The Vegetable Man of Oz: The Oz Book for 1943 (with Hakan Larsson, John Plummer, Eileen Ribbler, Michael Vincent) (1990)
- The Magic Mirror of Oz: The Oz Book for 1944 (1985)
- The Frogman of Oz: The Oz Book for 1947 (1986)
- The Umbrellas of Oz: The Oz Book for 1953 (with Irene Schneyder) (1991)
- The Woozy of Oz: The Oz Book for 1954 (1999)
- Dragons in Oz (1998)
- The Green Dolphin of Oz (1978)
- Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in Oz: A Traditional Tale of Oz (1983)
- In Other Lands than Oz (with various others) (1984)
- The Good Witch of Oz (1984)
- The Cloud King of Oz (with Richard E. Blaine) (1994)
- Beenie in Oz (with Keith LaumerKeith LaumerJohn Keith Laumer was an American science fiction author. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, he was an officer in the United States Air Force and a U.S. diplomat...
, Tyler Jones, Michael J. Michanczyk) (1997) - The Ten Woodmen of Oz: The Oz Book for 1999 (1987)
- A Farewell to Oz: The Oz Book for 2000 (with Anita McGrew, Gerard Langa, Dina Briones) (1993)
He also proposed numerous other titles such as Jim the Cab-Horse of Oz that he was not able to write before his death. Another book, Fattywiggins and the Caresso-Pigs of Oz was left unfinished and undated, but is available on his website. The Talking City of Oz (1999) is a novel he edited for Ron Baxley, Jr..
He also wrote several non-Oz SF/fantasy works, including Aillin o' My Dreams (A Fantasia on Irish Themes), Fountains, Fireworks and Balloons, and Gay Bravery.
External links
- March Laumer Online, which hosts many of his Oz books
The literary remains of March Laumer was donated to the University Library of Lund, Sweden.