The Langoliers – Stephen King

Rating: 4/5

Lost References:

Some passengers disappear from a plane, like in Left Behind, but this book has circumstances much closer to Lost. They disappear due to time travel. Also, Damon Lindelof said that this book was an influence on Lost.

Thoughts:

This is one of four novellas in Stephen King’s Four Past Midnight collection, one of the ones I enjoyed. The Sun Dog was equally compelling. Secret Window, Secret Garden was good, too, if slightly forgettable. The Library Policeman, which I originally read the collection for, was a complete waste of time. High on squick, short on plot. I’m not here to review these, but if anyone wants more details, just ask.

As for The Langoliers, it’s classic Stephen King. There are plenty of weird people, including a villain who’s clinically insane and quite pathetic. The monsters are stranger than usual – little fuzzy balls with too many mouths that eat time (and everything else).

Jurassic Park – Michael Crichton

Rating: 4/5

Lost References:

When Paulo worries about the (noisy) Smoke Monster, Nikki tells him the Island’s not like Jurassic Park.

Thoughts:

Two things that surprised me about this book: Some of the scenes from the book that hadn’t made it into the movie I still recognized from the sequels, and there was a whole lot of faux-science. The second one I didn’t mind; it made me appreciate the movies more (I’ll admit to liking the dinosaur action and Malcolm’s wit). The second point, I wasn’t crazy about. I could stomach the chaos theory quotes at the section openings, but all the fake genetics sections bored me. Apparently, Crichton’s famous for fake, topical science, but this was my first of his books, so I didn’t know that then. I’ve read some more since, and I’m learning to tune him out when he gets into his spiels. If you can do that, you’re in for an exciting read. And another good Crichton book is Timeline.

Above: the Crichtonsaurus bohlini – a new species of ankylosaurus named for Crichton and Swedish paleontologist Birger Bohlin.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

Rating: 5/5

Lost References:

 One of the numbers of Lost is 42, which could very well be related to Hitchhiker’s. In this book, the number 42 is the meaning of “life, the universe, and everything.” (Sawyer also mentions the book in The Lost Experience.)

 Thoughts:

 If you like your scifi but can’t stand how serious it usually is, DON’T PANIC! Hitchhiker’s is the book for you. I haven’t gotten around to the rest of the series yet, but I have definite plans to pick up the rest of the Douglas Adams ones, at least. (Other authors have kept the series going, but I don’t think it’d be the same.) Anywho, Douglas Adams is just amazing. Clever, hilarious, brilliant.

And if you’ve already read this one and love it, I’d recommend Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. He also did some Doctor Who, which made me quite happy.

Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury

Rating: 4/5

Lost References:

It’s one of the books on Ben’s shelf.

Thoughts:

It’s a book for book lovers. Obviously I’m one of those, or I wouldn’t be on this project. It’s not for the audience. It makes a strong case for books, which take imagination, when contrasted with television and other media that think for you.

Flowers for Algernon – Daniel Keyes

Rating: 2/5

Lost References:

This book is on Ben’s shelf. There’s a more indirect, or circumstantial reference in the mouse experiment. In the book, Algernon the mouse has experimental brain surgery before Charlie (the first human subject). When Algernon regresses and dies, this foreshadows the end for Charlie. In Lost, Daniel experiments on a mouse named Eloise’s brain. She gets a brain hemorrhage, just like later humans exposed to similar conditions. But some of the humans survive. Go, Desmond!

Thoughts:

It’s interesting as a social commentary. If you want to know about discrimination against those with special needs, this is probably the best-known book on the subject. Only, I didn’t actually enjoy it. It pushes the cause of acceptance, and it even has a storyline and style that I could have found not only realistic but compelling, but Keyes just tries too hard.