Lyman Frank Baum, known as L. Frank Baum, was an American author celebrated for his extensive contribution to children's fantasy literature. Born on May 15, 1856, in upstate New York, Baum ventured westward after an unsuccessful period as a theater producer and playwright. Alongside his wife, he managed a store in South Dakota and took to editing and publishing a newspaper.

Subsequently relocating to Chicago, Baum embraced journalism and children's fiction, releasing the iconic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900. Baum's pioneering spirit extended to film, as he aspired to create a children's film studio in Los Angeles, California towards the end of his storied career.

His literary oeuvre is vast, comprising 14 books in the Oz series, 41 other novels, 83 short stories, over 200 poems, and at least 42 scripts. He also experimented with various pseudonyms such as Edith Van Dyne, Floyd Akers, and others, under which he published additional works. Baum's creativity forecasted modern concepts like television, wireless communications, and virtual reality.

Baum passed away on May 6, 1919, in Hollywood, California, but his legacy endures through his beloved stories and their adaptations, most notably the 1939 film, a milestone in cinema history.