David and I wrote a great deal of the book after the first season, so we knew how the season ended and what happened to the main characters. David especially has a wealth of knowledge about television studies, and my background includes TV and film studies as well as communication and literature. We're both university teachers as well as writers. We analyze television and film as part of our profession. We collaborated on writing the chapters and, during the second season, added more information with each new episode. We were fortunate in that we could discuss characters and themes through "The Long Con," the Sawyer backstory airing in early 2006. Considering that the book was published in April 2006, it includes a great deal of analysis about the second season.
Writing about Lost is different from any other book either of us has written because Lost is unique in several ways. The series is marketed [in] a variety of ways, some of them new for television series. The plot twists, number of characters, and changes in each character mean that we have to keep up weekly with the series. Something new is always happening. The online fandom is also a key part of Lost's success, and new information appears daily. Writing about Lost means that we have to keep up with the series and the fan phenomenon--there's never a shortage of material to analyze and discuss!
Would you recommend Unlocking the Meaning of Lost: An Unauthorized Guide to new viewers of Lost? Why?
Yes, I would. We provide enough background information about the series and, for example, ancestor texts to give newcomers a good idea of what makes Lost special and how it compares to films, television series, and books with which they might be familiar. We discuss important continuing themes in Lost, such as spirituality and the ways that several characters face challenges to their lives. We look at the layers of meanings within the series, such as what it means to be lost and why that's important now. New viewers don't need to know all the minutiae to be able to understand the key concepts found in Lost.
Would you recommend Unlocking the Meaning of Lost: An Unauthorized Guide to die-hard, dare I say, obsessive fans? Why?
Definitely! We also provide insights that fans might not have on their own. We mention what's unique and fascinating about Lost, but also why certain themes, events, and characters are important. We analyze some connections between characters and events, and the significance of these connections, that even die-hard fans may not have considered. Even obsessive fans probably haven't made all the connections or don't know all the background information found in the book.
Lost fans often are fan-scholars. They enjoy learning more, whether about the popular culture, including literary references found in the series or about Lost's place within television history. Unlocking the Meaning of Lost: An Unauthorized Guide is written for these fan-scholars who enjoy knowing about Lost's many layers of meaning.
What would Sawyer say about your book?
More sex than a Judy Blume novel, about the same amount of conspiracy theory as that book manuscript (Bad Twin), but a slower read than Watership Down. Sawyer probably would skip the spirituality chapter (he doesn't think he needs to be "saved" except from the island) and might want photos. After all, Cosmo it's not!
In addition to writing books, you also have a website about Lost. What is on the website that is not in the book and vice versa?
The website provides updates about the book and publicity about it. The site has pictures from events and new content not in the book, such as a more extensive glossary. As we begin work on other Lost-related projects, we add news to the site.
Unlocking the Meaning of Lost: An Unauthorized Guide 
