Love Wicked? Learn More About the Novel That Inspired the Movie — And Gregory Maguire’s Other Oz Books (2024)

Wicked season is officially here!

The new movie, directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh and more, arrives in theaters on Nov. 22. And if you're already "defying gravity" in excitement, consider checking out the book behind it all.

The film and the Tony-winning Broadway musical are both based on the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, itself an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. And while Maguire’s now-iconic book is a great standalone read, the author has written several books rooted in the world of Oz — and has more on the way.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Here’s your guide to all of Maguire’s novels set within the Wicked universe.

‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’

The first novel in Maguire’s "Wicked Years" series follows Elphaba, long before she became the Wicked Witch of the West. She begins her education at Shiz University, during a time of unrest in Oz, where the Animal population is at risk of exile. And Elphaba, herself ostracized for her green skin, will stop at nothing to give a voice to the voiceless.

‘Son of a Witch’

The second installment of the "Wicked Years" books picks up a decade after Elphaba melted away in front of Dorothy and her friends. A young man named Liir, who may or may not be the Wicked Witch's son, begins his own journey through Oz, to find the rest of his supposed family members and discover his own potential powers.

‘A Lion Among Men’

The Cowardly Lion gets his own spotlight in the third book in the "Wicked Years" adventures where, in an Oz ravaged by war and oppression, he's determined to survive.

‘Out of Oz’

Maguire wraps up the “Wicked Years” books with new — and dire — problems for Oz. The magical land has tipped into chaos, with Glinda the Good Witch placed on house arrest and Munchkinland facing a looming threat of war from the Emerald City. Amongst it all, Elphaba’s granddaughter, Rain, will step into her own in the final volume.

‘The Brides of Maracoor’

Elphaba’s granddaughter, Rain, is the focus of Maguire’s “Another Day” trilogy. In the first book, Rain ends up on a mysterious island off the shores of Oz. Taken in by a community of women "committed to obscure devotional practices," Rain’s intentions are called into question by the island’s leaders, launching her on a thrilling journey.

‘The Oracle of Maracoor’

The second book in the “Another Day” trilogy picks up when the land of Maracoor is invaded by armed forces. Rain, aided by a child felon called Cossy and a motley group of other companions, must escape and search for an artifact called the Oracle of Maracoor, which may hold the answers to saving their world.

‘The Witch of Maracoor’

“Another Day” comes to an end as Rain begins a journey back to Oz after meeting her grandfather, the onetime Wizard of Oz known as Rainary Ko. Oz is not only Rain’s home, but where her lover lives too, and she must use everything she's learned as she prepares to return home, in the trilogy’s final book.

‘Elphie: A Wicked Childhood’

Elphaba’s true origin story is explored in Maguire’s latest novel in the Wicked universe, publishing next year. Elphie: A Wicked Childhood follows Elphaba’s “peculiar” coming-of-age with her parents, her sister, Nessarose, and her young brother, Shell, the beginnings of her advocacy against the mistreatment of Oz’s animal population and her life before she arrives at Shiz University, where she meets Galinda.