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Lost Humanity: The Mythology and Themes of LOST
This is LOST as you've never experienced it before. Pearson Moore goes to the heart of LOST, uncovering and explaining the fascinating core Faith versus Science, the Numbers, the nature of good and evil, and the struggle between free will and destiny. He will lead you to ideas and conclusions you never imagined, opening the world of LOST in fresh and exciting ways. Whether you understood LOST or were completely baffled, whether you loved it or hated it, Moore will show you concepts and ways of thinking about LOST you will find nowhere else. Moore's innovative thoughts and vibrant prose will keep you engaged as he explores the Island and its characters. Moore approaches LOST from four "nonlinear" points of Disorientation, Metadrama, Literary Analysis, and Chaos Theory. This is in-depth analysis that never lets go, keeping you immersed in the LOST world from cover to cover. There's no filler here. No interviews with stars about the cars they drive or the planes they fly. No weird theories. Just solid, thoroughly-researched, rapid-fire analysis from one of the most cited LOST authorities on the Internet. You may feel exhausted after a chapter. You may be shocked. You may become upset. But you will never be bored. This in-depth exploration spans nineteen chapters across roughly 305 pages. The first chapter sets up the problem, focussing on the complexities of LOST and identifying the means Moore will use to make the concepts accessible. The second chapter defines the thesis of LOST, which acts as a guide to understanding the major themes. Chapters Three through Nine cover major "linear" topics. The heart of the book begins with Chapter Ten. It is here that Moore unleashes the four "nonlinear" concepts to reveal the hidden meanings of LOST. He discusses the need for disorientation, and how this is essential to understanding LOST. He proposes the idea that LOST is metadrama, and he explains how understanding LOST in this way is useful to unraveling its secrets. He makes fresh use of literary theory, in ways never before applied to LOST. Finally, Moore brings an astounding, completely new perspective on television analysis with his concept of the Strange Attractor, an idea borrowed from chaos theory. It is here that Moore's analysis shines, allowing a depth of understanding never before achieved.
- GenresNonfiction
306 pages, Paperback
First published March 11, 2011
27 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Pearson Moore
54 books19 followersPearson Moore is the author of "Deneb," the most exciting science fiction epic of the decade. "Deneb" follows dozens of memorable characters thrown into a hostile, alien environment as they scramble to understand the deeply-layered mysteries that control their lives. As they dig into ancient visions and secrets, they discover a web of conspiracies and evil intentions that span 45,000 years of history and call into question the most basic of assumptions about human will, desire, and destiny. With profound allusions to literature old and new, "Deneb" is a story that will stay with readers for years to come.
Moore is the bestselling author of "LOST Humanity," for many years the #1 bestselling companion book to the television series LOST, written in the style that has earned him tens of thousands of followers worldwide. As well as authoring several LOST-related volumes, including "LOST Identity," Pearson has written well-received companion books for both Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad.
With over 100 essays on LOST, read at over 40,000 websites around the world, Moore is recognized as a leading authority on the groundbreaking television series. "LOST Humanity" was the #1 Bestseller in its class for 14 weeks in 2011 and several weeks in 2012. His second book on LOST, "LOST Identity," includes illustrations by renowned LOST artist ArtGUS, and concentrates on the unique characters of LOST. Moore edited the highly regarded "LOST Thought" and "LOST Thought University Edition," now required reading in many college film and drama courses.
Moore has been Featured Writer at SL-Lost.com, the Dark UFO website, Westeros.org, and WinterIsComing.com. In addition to "Game of Thrones Season One Essays" and "Game of Thrones Season Two Essays," he is author of the "Thrones Questions and Comments" series of Game of Thrones books which analyze the television series in the rich, insightful essay format that has become his hallmark.
Pearson Moore writes in several genres, including historical fiction, science fiction, and current events non-fiction. His first novel, "Cartier's Ring," was published in April, 2011. "Cartier's Ring" is the story of the founding of Canada in 1608 as seen from the Aboriginal perspective. Moore has also written "Intolerable Loyalty," a novel set in Québec during the American Revolutionary War, and "Trinity," a science fiction novel treating the emergence of a genetically unique population and its social and political implications.
Moore is the bestselling author of "LOST Humanity," for many years the #1 bestselling companion book to the television series LOST, written in the style that has earned him tens of thousands of followers worldwide. As well as authoring several LOST-related volumes, including "LOST Identity," Pearson has written well-received companion books for both Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad.
With over 100 essays on LOST, read at over 40,000 websites around the world, Moore is recognized as a leading authority on the groundbreaking television series. "LOST Humanity" was the #1 Bestseller in its class for 14 weeks in 2011 and several weeks in 2012. His second book on LOST, "LOST Identity," includes illustrations by renowned LOST artist ArtGUS, and concentrates on the unique characters of LOST. Moore edited the highly regarded "LOST Thought" and "LOST Thought University Edition," now required reading in many college film and drama courses.
Moore has been Featured Writer at SL-Lost.com, the Dark UFO website, Westeros.org, and WinterIsComing.com. In addition to "Game of Thrones Season One Essays" and "Game of Thrones Season Two Essays," he is author of the "Thrones Questions and Comments" series of Game of Thrones books which analyze the television series in the rich, insightful essay format that has become his hallmark.
Pearson Moore writes in several genres, including historical fiction, science fiction, and current events non-fiction. His first novel, "Cartier's Ring," was published in April, 2011. "Cartier's Ring" is the story of the founding of Canada in 1608 as seen from the Aboriginal perspective. Moore has also written "Intolerable Loyalty," a novel set in Québec during the American Revolutionary War, and "Trinity," a science fiction novel treating the emergence of a genetically unique population and its social and political implications.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 16, 2011
The TV show 'Lost' was a global phenomenon, inspiring millions of viewers to spend endless hours analysing and speculating - what did it all mean? As the unanswered mysteries piled up, it became obvious that not everything would (or could) be answered satisfactorily, but everyone agreed that at least the major questions would be resolved, and spent the hiatus before the final season compiling lists of essential answers (some ran into the hundreds).
That final season splintered the fanbase. Many people were quite happy with it, and thought it a rousing send-off. Many others were anything from dissatisfied to outraged, and voiced their displeasure long and loud. Neither side quite understood the other. But there was a third group, too. Midway through the season, a number of those who blogged and reviewed and publicly pronounced on 'Lost' began to say: you know what, the answers don't matter, it's really all about the characters (or the journey, or the themes, or whatever). Well, who wants to admit they spent six years of their life on something without meaning? This book is of and about that third group, an attempt to justify the lack of solid answers by explaining the show away as something too subtle and profound for ordinary minds.
'Lost', says Pearson Moore, is a new, unique and brilliant form of TV: it is metadrama. It is not amenable to rational analysis or logic because it is intentionally chaotic. Science is not applicable, you can only understand it if you have faith. It is, in fact, beyond reality. This leads to prose like this: "Every day we become the Smoke Monster. Every day we unleash on this world, in ways small and large, in thoughtlessness and cruelty, the full chaos of our unmeasured lusts. Chaos is the antagonist, and we are the creators of its confusing and ill effects. Chaos has no linear etiology, no clear chronology, else we could approach the problem as an exercise in scientific empiricism."
Well, fine. Whether you think this is deeply profound or pretentious tosh is a matter of taste. But it creates some interesting moments when the author attempts to demonstrate the inherently chaotic nature of 'Lost' with examples - the fact that some of the Losties on the Ajira flight were tossed back in time, but not Sun; or why some people bounced around in time after Ben turned the frozen donkey wheel but not others. Sure, these outcomes may seem irrational, but perhaps there is a more down-to-earth explanation - the writers needed things to happen that way purely for plot reasons, to make the story more exciting. Not metadrama, then, just dodgy writing.
The author takes the offensive position that those who were dissatisfied with the lack of answers, or with the answers provided, were simply not prepared to put in the effort to work out answers themselves, were not fully 'immersed' in the series. He himself has no problem: "...the corpus of LOST resolves almost every question that I have read or heard." Well, of course there are answers - for every question left unanswered on the show, fans have come up with five or ten plausible answers of their own, all different, some even contradictory. Is that satisfactory? I would say not - the only acceptable answer is the one the writers had in mind themselves. If indeed they had anything in mind at all.
This book is a classic instance of humankind's innate ability to create patterns from anything, to rationalise anything. The author looks for patterns in the events of 'Lost', and, seeing none, declares that this chaos is intentional on the writers' part. Others interpret it as lack of planning by the writers - they threw in huge numbers of intriguing happenings to make the story more dramatic, without any rhyme or reason. Which camp each of us falls into says more about us than about 'Lost', frankly.
For those who were happy with the ending of 'Lost', you don't need this book. For those who expected at least some rational explanations, this book won't help. But for anyone who felt there was something more to 'Lost' that they just didn't quite understand, this book may give you the rationalisation you need. And hey, it's cheap.
That final season splintered the fanbase. Many people were quite happy with it, and thought it a rousing send-off. Many others were anything from dissatisfied to outraged, and voiced their displeasure long and loud. Neither side quite understood the other. But there was a third group, too. Midway through the season, a number of those who blogged and reviewed and publicly pronounced on 'Lost' began to say: you know what, the answers don't matter, it's really all about the characters (or the journey, or the themes, or whatever). Well, who wants to admit they spent six years of their life on something without meaning? This book is of and about that third group, an attempt to justify the lack of solid answers by explaining the show away as something too subtle and profound for ordinary minds.
'Lost', says Pearson Moore, is a new, unique and brilliant form of TV: it is metadrama. It is not amenable to rational analysis or logic because it is intentionally chaotic. Science is not applicable, you can only understand it if you have faith. It is, in fact, beyond reality. This leads to prose like this: "Every day we become the Smoke Monster. Every day we unleash on this world, in ways small and large, in thoughtlessness and cruelty, the full chaos of our unmeasured lusts. Chaos is the antagonist, and we are the creators of its confusing and ill effects. Chaos has no linear etiology, no clear chronology, else we could approach the problem as an exercise in scientific empiricism."
Well, fine. Whether you think this is deeply profound or pretentious tosh is a matter of taste. But it creates some interesting moments when the author attempts to demonstrate the inherently chaotic nature of 'Lost' with examples - the fact that some of the Losties on the Ajira flight were tossed back in time, but not Sun; or why some people bounced around in time after Ben turned the frozen donkey wheel but not others. Sure, these outcomes may seem irrational, but perhaps there is a more down-to-earth explanation - the writers needed things to happen that way purely for plot reasons, to make the story more exciting. Not metadrama, then, just dodgy writing.
The author takes the offensive position that those who were dissatisfied with the lack of answers, or with the answers provided, were simply not prepared to put in the effort to work out answers themselves, were not fully 'immersed' in the series. He himself has no problem: "...the corpus of LOST resolves almost every question that I have read or heard." Well, of course there are answers - for every question left unanswered on the show, fans have come up with five or ten plausible answers of their own, all different, some even contradictory. Is that satisfactory? I would say not - the only acceptable answer is the one the writers had in mind themselves. If indeed they had anything in mind at all.
This book is a classic instance of humankind's innate ability to create patterns from anything, to rationalise anything. The author looks for patterns in the events of 'Lost', and, seeing none, declares that this chaos is intentional on the writers' part. Others interpret it as lack of planning by the writers - they threw in huge numbers of intriguing happenings to make the story more dramatic, without any rhyme or reason. Which camp each of us falls into says more about us than about 'Lost', frankly.
For those who were happy with the ending of 'Lost', you don't need this book. For those who expected at least some rational explanations, this book won't help. But for anyone who felt there was something more to 'Lost' that they just didn't quite understand, this book may give you the rationalisation you need. And hey, it's cheap.
February 22, 2014
Here is the thing, Lost was never meant to answer all your questions. It was meant to pose them. So you could spend time after the show had finished to really explore it further. The book explains this extremely well and answers some of the key questions posed articulately. Of course this is the author's interpretation. You may wish to disagree or like me you may choose to believe.
Once you understand that underlying philosophy of Lost you can answer all the questions yourself. Like a good book or a great song, the show will mean different things to different people. What you take from it is a reflection of you and your current state of mind.
Lost is the greatest show ever written and this book is a splendid complement to it. The show will always divide the audience but that too is a reflection of your beliefs.
For those who have faith, no proof is necessary; for those who lack faith, no proof is possible.
Once you understand that underlying philosophy of Lost you can answer all the questions yourself. Like a good book or a great song, the show will mean different things to different people. What you take from it is a reflection of you and your current state of mind.
Lost is the greatest show ever written and this book is a splendid complement to it. The show will always divide the audience but that too is a reflection of your beliefs.
For those who have faith, no proof is necessary; for those who lack faith, no proof is possible.
May 30, 2013
A must-read for hardcore LOST nerds. Very accessible, entertaining, and informative.
September 6, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you're a fan of the TV show "Lost" fan, you are likely to enjoy it. However, be prepared to engage your brain. This isn't a simple treatise recapping episodes or talking about characters. Lost always required more of viewers than to simply watch and this book is no different. Sometimes the science discussed got a little deeper than I cared to delve. But the book did help me gain a better perspective and understanding of the events and themes of this wonderful show. I may have to go back and watch it again!
August 17, 2019
A 200 page book that lasts 450 pages, I was beginning to wonder if Pearson Moore is a pseudonym for Neal Stephenson (who sometimes takes two pages to describe a room). Still, he's got some interesting ideas, and he really is looking for the deeper meaning in Lost. I bought this and his Characters book at the same time, and am regretting it just a tiny bit, but I'm going to dive in that one next and see how it goes.
January 27, 2018
A pretty heady tome exploring in detail the themes of the show LOST. At times revelatory, at times questionable, but enjoyable for a true fan of the show. The only detractor is that it's a very philosophy-oriented read and several sections were/are slow to digest.
July 13, 2020
Was hoping for some discussion around the scientific/philosophical issues raised by the show, as well as some analysis of its overall meaning. Instead this is a facile, surface-level review of what happened in the show and a listing of some of the disciplines it draws upon. If you're a thinking person and you've seen the show, you don't need this.
July 26, 2011
I can't say that I always understand everything Pearson Moore has to say about this fascinating series, but I appreciate his insights and analysis. If you want more than just a surface analysis of LOST, Pearson Moore is the writer for you. His theories about the characters, the story and the Island resonated with me, and made me appreciate the series even more than I had before.
October 1, 2015
I was very interested in reading this book, only because I felt the need to see what it was all about. I found it interesting that one person could put so much thought into writing about a series that basically drove him crazy to the point of placing it on paper to share with everyone. Wow. Amazing.
August 16, 2012
A good review of the core themes of Lost. My favourite bit was the analysis of the relationships between the characters, and how these evolved over time. Also enjoyed the explanation of how Lost differs from the normal Campbellian Monomyth.
December 3, 2011
Interesting read on the interconnections between the characters, and the influence of the Island on their lives. But several chapters got sooooo science-driven that it completely "lost" me.
March 26, 2012
Definitely a must read for LOST fans who are feeling a void after the series ended! If you didn't watch LOST, don't bother, for you will be (LOST that is!)
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August 22, 2012I did not finish this book but intend to later.
May 8, 2015
Interesting read, pointed out things I completely missed when watching the TV show. Interesting interpretations of different part, but more non-LOST discussion than I was hoping for.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews