LOST in “S” by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst: A True Collectible

Historical, Rare Books — Long Story by Brian Shipman

Why “S”? Because LOST.

JJ Abrams does it again. But this time in book form.

When the TV show LOST launched 10 years ago today, an argument erupted in my living room. It went something like this…

WIFE: Will you watch this new show with me? It’s called LOST.
ME: What’s it about?
WIFE: A plane crash’s on an island. People survive. Mayhem ensues.
ME: Ugh. Sounds like a Gilligan’s island reboot, soap-opera-fied for prime time. I have neither the time nor the interest. What a dumb idea.
WIFE: Please? It can be something we do together? And it’s made by that same guy that did ALIAS.

Even with ALIAS, which I loved, I was more than skeptical. But for my wife’s sake, I gave up two hours and watched the pilot for LOST on September 22, 2004.

My curiosity was more than piqued. Riveting story. Characters you love (or love to hate). I gave myself over, thinking it would be just another decent TV show.

It wasn’t until a few episodes later, though, that the hook really set. A new character appeared. His name? ETHAN ROM. His presence on the plane is questionable. That odd name stuck with me. The next day, while working, I would occasionally scribble the name on a piece of paper and play with the letters. Before too long, I realized it was an anagram for OTHER MAN.

There was no going back. As a fan of story, mystery, and puzzles, LOST completed the trifecta with the anagram. Before long, I realized that LOST had hidden puzzles everywhere. It was as much adventure game and treasure hunt as it was story.

Once LOST ended, I longed for another experience that combined great story, mysterious events, and puzzles woven directly into the story. I didn’t think it would happen. But then, I stumbled onto a book called “S.” And when I saw that J.J. Abrams conceived it, the “same guy” that did LOST – I enthusiastically began the quest.

It’s hard to call “S” a book. “S” is more of an experience that comes in a box with many, many parts. It is inherently a collector’s item. And within it are multiple, stand-alone collector’s items. When you break the seal of the box that contains “S.”, out slides what initially appears to be a single book. An old book, Ship of Theseus,written in 1949 by the fictitious author V.M. Straka. The book appears to be stolen from a high school library in California by a young student named Eric who pencils in his notes over time. Years later, when a college student named Jen picks up the book in the university library and sees his notes, she inks a response. Before long, the two begin a relationship in the margins, discussing the mysterious book itself and the connection that flourishes between them.

Within the book itself are numerous inserts. Turning the pages of “S” inevitably leads to one of the following ephemeral pieces that slide out independent from the book itself…

• a map inked on a cafe napkin of steam tunnels winding their way beneath a university library
• postcards from Brazil that document the itinerary of an investigative journey
• a complicated code wheel that requires geographic coordinates to decipher messages
• an obituary written in Portuguese
• handwritten letters bearing confessions, clues, and cautionary commands
• photographs of intriguing people and symbols
• photocopies of old telegrams

Here is a comprehensive list of inserts and their location within the book. A beginner’s guide to reading “S” also helps those who have just started, or those who are on the fence about starting down the rabbit hole.

What makes “S” a collectible – even more than the sheer beauty of the pages covered in handwritten marginalia and well-crafted inserts – is that it is not merely a book. One does not merely read “S” one-time through. No. “S” is a mystery to be investigated thoroughly. It is an experience to be savored. A work of art to behold repeatedly. A single-pass simply won’t do. You wouldn’t say you had “played” Monopoly if you opened the box and made one trip around the board. No. It takes many passes and much accumulation to actually participate in, understand, and perhaps even win the game. J.J. Abrams said it best himself…

I urge you to dig. Give in to the unknown for a while and ponder the mystery. It’s worth it.

There are tantalizing clues within the book that a pirate’s treasure of some sort awaits those that can solve the mystery. A handful of ciphers have already been broken, but many have not. In my own quest to find the treasure, I can honestly say that I have learned more about birds, poetry, literature, geography, physics, negative space, World War I, and many other things than I ever did in school.

I do believe “S” and its inserts will become collectibles. When they do, for some the value in the item will be in the unique craftsmanship or novelty. For others, like myself, the elements of “S” will be collectible because of the connection they spark in the experience of “S” and its enduring adventure of mystery and intrigue.

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By Brian Shipman