I have read, at long last, The Bad Twin written by “Gary Troup” who was the guy sucked through the engine in the pilot. Other than a couple of “throwaway” lines, I haven’t really found anything particularly significant.

EXCEPT: The novel was published in 2006, but was supposedly written PRIOR to the September 2004 crash of O815 (in which the author perished). However, in the novel, a friend of Paul, the main character, tells Paul that the Scottish Feudal system was not formally abolished until November 2004. While this is TRUE (http://www.hmitchell.co.uk/abolition-of-feudal-tenure.htm), November 2004 was two months AFTER the O815 crash. Granted the act was in the works since 2000, but the character SPECIFICALLY mentions a date IN THE FUTURE (to him) when in the book, he speaks as if it has ALREADY happened.

Is this an error? A sign? Ideas?

If it makes a difference, I am reading the First Edition.

: ) P

On the other hand, it is starting to get a bit crazy with all the sponsor brand tie-ins like Sprite and Jeep. I would prefer if they wouldn’t sell out like that but then again, Lost, like every other television series is driven by money. I just hope that all the things surrounding the show are (or will be) part of the story and that they’re not just screwing with us.

I mean could someone explain me what the hell is going on about those fictionnal Hanso foundations, and pseudo-books. In my mind, this is no nothing but a means to make money, and there’s nothing important here for the show.

I just think this is bad to use the great lost mythology just for money, they should better answer the questions they rise !

My opinion is : they have no interesting answers about all the mysteries, and they are scared that the show’s gonna screw off next year because of that, so they think okay let’s make profits that our audience believe we have secrets to tell, even though we have no more ideas than they do.

Cecilia, if you need to reach me, use messenger instead of mail since I am having some trouble with my mail-server at the moment.

On the blank first page, he wrote:
“Shocking content inside!! I had to get this book into safe hands. It contains a massive clue about the Hanso Foundation. I’ve only got a few copies, so I’m relying on you to help me get the truth out to the public. To further unlock the LOST conspiracy visit my blog at http://www.yahoo7.com.au/lost . Namaste -The Lost Ninja”

HIGHLIGHTED SECTIONS OF COPY PASSED OUT IN AUSTRALIAN PROMOTION:

p 16 – “Widmore. Cliff Widmore.”
p 31 – “The car ascended swiftly and then when the doors opened the detective stepped out. Almost at once he realized something was wrong. In the hallway and in the cubicles behind a glass partition, there were some dozens of busy people milling, but they weren’t wearing business suits, they were wearing lab coats. Some of the lab coats were white, some were mint green. Men and women both had neat short hair. Artisan approached a receptionist who sat behind a chrome desk so bare and clean that it might have been a dissecting table.
‘Excuse me,’ he said. ‘Is this the Widmore Corp?’ She gave him a smile that was entirely pleasant yet somewhat robotic. ‘No. This is the Hanso Foundation. Widmore’s on forty-seven.’ ‘Ah,’ said Artisan. ‘Sorry to bother you.’ He turned back toward the elevator, then his curiosity got the better of him. Gesturing toward the people in the white and mint-green lab coats, he said to the receptionist, ‘What is it you do here?’ She flashed that pert, mechanical smile again and pointed to the plaque mounted on the wall. The plaque read: [see thehansofoundation.org for a similar mission statment as found in book] He got back in the elevator.”
p 149 – “‘Damn right, they worked!’ And that new fellow from Hanso — Mudworm or whatever his name is –’ ‘Mittelwerk,’ his son corrected him. ‘Whatever. I don’t trust him. I think he’s sneaky. I much preferred having Alvar on the board. Alvar is a gentleman.’ ‘Really?’ said Cliff. ‘What makes hima gentleman? The fact that you made a ton of money together? If that’s the definition, I think Mittelwerk’s a gentleman. He’s got ideas, ambition –’ ‘Everything but morals,’ the old man interrupted. ‘Everything except a conscience.’ ‘And who’s Alvar?’ said Cliff. ‘Jimminy Cricket? … But look, we have a visitor.’”
p 171 – “Zander’s in Australia.”
p 179 – “Her namplate said Cindy.”

The book is dedicated to Cindy Chandler, who is the flight attendant on Oceanic (and she is given a bit part in the book).

The author, Gary Troup himself, is said to be presumed dead after Flight 815 went down. Gary Troup is an anagram of PURGATORY, though this doesn’t seem to be the answer to LOST (the LOST writers have made this point in the past in podcasts); it is still an inside joke/theme they like to talk about. http://www.garytroupbooks.com has links to “interviews” of Troup before his ‘demise’, all of which are considered part of the Lost Experience. He supposedly also wrote a book on Valenzetti, a (fictional) mathematician mentioned on the blast door map.

Figuring prominantly in the book is the Widmore family, led by father Arthur, and twin adult sons Cliff and Zander (who are the polar opposites). Since they are ‘fictional’ in the LOST world, it’s difficult to discern their ties to Charles and Penelope Widmore of the ‘real’ LOST world, but it can be presumed that Widmore Corp. is based on the same.

Cliff is allies with Mittelwerk. It is presumed he is based on the ‘real’ Mittelwerk of the webmaze. The book mentions him only briefly, to say that he replaced Alvar Hanso on the Widmore board of directors. Arthur thought Hanso seemed honorable, but finds Mittelwerk less trustworthy, though he doesn’t give specifics as to why.

THF is an abnormally sterile office/lab on the 42nd floor of the Widmore building. No details given as to what exactly the Hanso/Widmore ties are, except the board of directors cross-pollination and the sharing of building space. Assumed that they are intertwined.

Some literary works share common mention in both book and LOST: Gilgamesh, Lord of the Flies, John Locke (the philosopher), the Odyssey (Argos the dog is from that story… Penelope from our TV show is the wife of Odysseus).

Some numerology shared (Zander was born on 8/14, Cliff on 8/16, 23 minutes apart; the Widmore gate code is #81516).

Zander was almost employed by someone named Paik. There are soft mentions of a Widmore tie with “korean projects”.

Boat’s name is “Escape Hatch”.

The Cuban guy says: “You’re him?”

There is a benevolent druggie character named “Moth” (also title of S1E07, about another misunderstood druggie–Charlie).

The city of Luna is rumored to have electromagnetic healing properties.

Artisan eats at Mr. Cluck’s and flies Oceanic to Australia.

“Not all who wander are lost” …forgot who the quote is by in the book (is it Manny?), but it was part of the official LOST advertizing campaign, and originally a quote by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Zander: “There are certain things I believe in–like Good and Evil… the hard part is, you don’t only choose just once… most of us have to keep choosing, day in, day out. Year in, year out. Good or bad, which way am I going to go…”
Paul: “That’s the idea of purgatory, right?”
Zander: “What if there is no purgatory… What if there is no heaven? No hell either? No afterlife at all… This is our chance to get it right. First chance, last chance, only chance. But that’s exciting, beautiful, right?… Our work in this life is to choose good over evil. To be fair. To be kind. And there is a payoff, though it doen’t have to do with harps and wings. The payoff is peace of mind. That’s what redemption really is.”
(I do NOT believe that purgatory is the real answer to LOST…But I think in a way, whoever is writing Bad Twin is playing a cruel joke on us and throwing a wink in our direction that purgatory is metaphorical… and happens in this world, our world of flesh and blood; and that he is saying this is what LOST is about, also)

The last lines by the minister at the funeral about destiny “We might imagine that our destiny is in our hands, but it was not…” also reminds me of LOST.