[(Getting "Lost": Survival, Baggage and Starting Over in J.J. Abrams' "Lost")] [Author: Orson Scott Card] published on

Smart Pop

by Orson Scott Card

Theories abound about the survivors of Flight 815 and their enigmatic island home on the supernatural television phenomenon “Lost.” This collection of essays provides insight into the most talked-about issues, including chapters on “Why the Survivors Must Be in Another Dimension (or the Twilight Zone),” “Lord of the Jack vs. Locke,” “The Where On Earth Did They Come From … or Did They?” and “A Theologian’s View of the Island as Purgatory.” Contributors such as television critic Joyce Millman, SF writer Adam-Troy Castro and paranormal-romance author Mary Janice Davidson tackle predominant themes, plotlines and symbols of the hit show while answering the questions on every fan’s What’s with the polar bears and black mist? Why does the sudden struggle for survival lead some to romantic relationships, some to conflict, and others to leadership? and Why did Boone have to die?

Genres: Tv, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Pop Culture, Anthologies

Paperback

First published July 11, 2006

About the author

Orson Scott Card is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is (as of 2023) the only person to have won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for his novel Ender's Game (1985) and its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986). A feature film adaptation of Ender's Game, which Card co-produced, was released in 2013. Card also wrote the Locus Fantasy Award-winning series The Tales of Alvin Maker (1987–2003).
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.

Reviews

[Suzanne]

I love the series, Lost, and every time I watch it, I pick up something new. Most fascinating is how intelligent it is with historical events and characters. The historical free thinkers that molded our socieity, like John Locke, Rousseau, Hume, etc., as well as the scientific names such as Faraday coupled with electromagnetism come together with a story that is creative and true. I love how they even associate the brilliance of the scientists with their field. My all time favorite philosopher was always Hume. I was thrilled they brought him into the mix. Also, I thought that the references and parallelism used in historical literature was striking, such as Sawyer, Henry Gale, etc. It's even noticable to see the choice of novels that Sawyer reads throughout the experience. Brilliant. So many people were disappointed in the story. You have to keep your eyes and ears open. It throws me that you can sit through such an amazing ride and be disappointed because of the last few seconds. This series is an excellent commentary on how we got from here to there with the influences leading the way. I had hoped this book would disects "Lost" more than it did. After I finished it, I felt like I could have written it with more insight and more details about the intent of the series. In all fairness, it was written before the series was completed four years after this book was written. If any fans of the series has any suggestions on a book to read that acknowledged the genius of the people behind the script and charcter development, as well as the historical circumstances, please write a response to this review. Thank you!

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection of essays on various aspects of LOST, that unfortunately was put together in only its second season, so there wasn't quite enough perspective, but that timing shows that they struck while the iron was hot.

[Angela Cheney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone asked me whether the book, "Getting Lost," will help you understand "Lost." . . . Well, . . . no. It's like a lot of things in life where just because you know more, doesn't mean you necessarily reach that point where you have total understanding. And when it comes to "Lost," I don't think understanding it is in the cards at all just yet! "Getting Lost" mostly covers the first few seasons, so it doesn't even address some of the weirdness of last season! "Getting Lost" is a series of essays that analyze "Lost" from a variety of different perspectives. It's like reaching into a bag of 15 different pairs of glasses, some tinted, some not, and finding a variety of ways to look at "Lost". I particularly like one essay that analyzes what makes a series compelling in the first place, and how "Lost" has elements of such series. Another essay I really liked was looking at the "leadership style" of various characters, and in this essay, the author pointed out that Hurley was the character who usually came up with a solution, but this often was missed in the Drama and more attention-getting nature of the other characters.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the essays in this were great and creative (especially "Double Locked" and "It's the Same Damn Island" were enjoyable to me), others were a bit irritating (especially the one by the pilot saying that the plane crash couldn't have happened). Overall, I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read it when it came out rather than now, several years later. Since it was published sometime in season 2, a lot of it is (of course) theoretical and it was harder to enjoy since I already know the answers to those theories! Anyway, I'm finally making my way through my SmartPop collection, and that's pretty awesome. Next up: Neptune Noir, all about Veronica Mars. :)

[Jessie B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lost is a fascinating series and it was fun to read an academic view of this show. The essays collected here are the usual mixed bag of academic essays, but there are a few good ones, and I'd recomend this book for any thoughtful fans of the series, though it was written before the series reached it's conclusion so some of the essays are a bit dated given future developments in the show.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

aside from bringing back a little nostalgia and longing for the days of one of my favorite shows, I can't say reading this really benefited me any more than if I hadn't. basically it's just a bunch of essays on thoughts on the show. some of them were definitely more interesting than others. can't say I'm disappointed to have read this, but can't say you absolutely HAVE to read it either.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains a collection of essays about the tv series Lost. I found most of the essays interesting and they gave me a different viewpoint on the series. I added a couple of the books mentioned as "Lost" influences to my to-read list.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only problem with this book is that so much changes from season to season; a lot of the questions and speculation is now irrelevant. But there were a lot of interesting and unique theories about where the series was headed, and the LOST terms guide at the end is a great reference.

[Kenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Limited to the first 1.5 seasons, this book is no longer relevant (mid-way through the 4th season as of this writing), but Card's insights are valuable nonetheless. A collection of essays about the popular TV show with an exhaustive index of all things "Lost."

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and at times thought-provoking look at the popular tv series, in the form of essays. I read it before the series ended, and found it a fun read, especially with the use of causing conversation/discussion/debate among Lost fans.

[Brittany K · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book delves into some of the parallels between the TV series Lost and other creative works.

It's an interesting read, but outdated (written half way through the second season).

[Brett Hutchins · Rating 3 out of 5]

It does make me miss the show, but do we really need an essay about the implausibility of that many people surviving that plane crash.

[Kay Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The essays were very well written. I enjoyed it.