Nice to know you're never too old not to learn your lesson. When it was announced that the producers of Lost were going to try and take the show to another level by creating various tie-ins, it seemed possible that such innovative folk would come up with something really new and interesting. In particular, there seemed reason to hope that they'd develop the mythos of the show in these other media. But, based on the evidence of this novel at least, they're going to be satisfied to offer little more than the kind of novelization that have been part and parcel of television for decades. I mean, when we were kids I had a Rat Patrol lunchbox -- until I broke the Thermos by trying to bring Coke to school -- and still have a couple of the books around here somewhere. Meanwhile, Planet of the Apes not only went from big screen to small but also spun off trading cards, comic books, G.I Joe-style figurines, etc. There's just nothing new about these synergies. So, it would be nice if, in this case, the tie-ins were to match the hype. And while Ms Hapka's tale is an entirely competent and workmanlike riff on the basic format of the show -- featuring a new character who flashes back to an unusually complex pre-crash past -- there's just too little connection to the characters we've actually come to know and like on the show every week or to the odd doings of the island itself. It'll likely satisfy fanatics but doesn't add much to the experience of the show for us casual fans.

(Reviewed:15-Feb-06)

Grade: (C) Orrin C. Judd

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Book-related and General Links:

    -SHOW SITE: Lost (ABC TV)
    -The Fuselage (The Official Site of the Creative Team Behind LOST Sponsored by JJ Abrams)
    -Lost (TV series) (Wikipedia)
    -Lost (TV.com)
    -INFO: Lost (2004) (IMDB.com)
    -The Society for the Study of Lost
    -Lost Podcasting Network (Independent fan podcasts devoted to J.J. Abrams' hit television series "Lost," airing Wednesdays on ABC.)
    -ESSAY: 'Lost' in the face of death (William Keck, 9/13/05, USA TODAY)
    -PROFILE: The many aliases of J.J. Abrams (Bill Keveney, 1/04/05, USA TODAY)
    -PROFILE: "Lost" in the moment: "E!'s" TV expert goes beyond plotlines to find the secrets to this small-screen megahit. Plus, the show's creators reveal what's next. (Kristin Veitch, 5/08/05, USA Today Weekend)
    -PROFILE: Survival of the fittest: Lost started out as a Lord Of The Fliesstyle drama, the only limits being the imagination of creator JJ Abrams. Which has no limits at all (Tony Horkins, August 6, 2005, The Guardian)
    -PROFILE: Actors explore Korean heritage in ‘Lost’ (Tim Ryan, September 22, 2004, starbulletin.com)
    -PROFILE: The Trouble with Harry: Jorge Garcia: The Story of a LOST Weekend (C. W. Oberleitner, June 14, 2005, Omeon)
    -PROFILE: Little Girl Lost: Evangeline Lilly is the ultimate desert-island fantasy (GAVIN EDWARDS, Sep 22, 2005 , Rolling Stone)
    -ESSAY: The Tellie Sage: Lost With The Stupids: Ranking the IQs of our favorite island exiles. (Mike Sage, 01.23.2006, Inside Pulse)
    -AUDIO PROFILE: 'Lost,' 'Alias' Composer Michael Giacchino (Gene Parrish, May 25, 2005, Day to Day)
    -PROFILE: Their contributions to '24' and 'Lost' are note perfect (Maureen Ryan, January 28, 2006, Chicago Tribune)
    -ESSAY: Get Lost in a Good Story: Serial Creativity on a Desert Island (David Lavery, Middle Tennessee State University)
    -PROFILE: Akinnouye-Agbaje finds fame on 'Lost' (BILL BRIOUX - Toronto Sun)
    -ESSAY: Lost Souls (Matt Kaufman, 11/11/05, Boundless)
    -ESSAY: Getting 'Lost': Show pursues TV's most elusive genre -- mythology. Or maybe that's not it all. (Matthew Gilbert, October 27, 2004, Boston Globe)
    -ESSAY: 'Lost' finds its way to adventure (Matthew Gilbert, September 22, 2004, Boston Globe)
    -REVIEW ESSAY: Get Lost: Preparing for a second-season obsession. (John J. Miller, 9/21/05, National Review)
    -REVIEW: of Lost: Trouble on the island makes for terrific TV (Tim Goodman, September 22, 2004, SF Gate)
    -REVIEW: of Lost (Maurice Broaddus, Hollywood Jesus)
    -REVIEW: of Lost by Jeffrey Lieber and J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof (Rebecca Cusey, Feb 2, 2006, Townhall)
    -REVIEW: of Lost: Lost in Alias (Tony Buchsbaum, January Magazine)
    -REVIEW: After the crash ...: The scenario is Lord of the Flies, the inspiration is reality TV show Survivor, but Lost, the hit US television series that starts here next week about a desert island plane crash, is really a look at a world transformed by terrorism. (Mark Lawson, August 5, 2005, The Guardian)
    -REVIEW: of Lost: Endangered Species by Cathy Hapka (Tim Teeman, Times of London)

ALIAS:

    -REVIEW: of Alias (Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters)
    -REVIEW: of Alias: Yet More of One Face in Season 4 of 'Alias' (VIRGINIA HEFFERNAN, 1/05/05, NY Times)