Monday, January 5, 2009

Lost Book Club Contest: Winners! (Updated)


I would like to thank those of you who entered this contest, because your contributions made me laugh and also truly appreciate the enthusiasm which we all share for Lost.

Below are all of the fantastic and creative entries, alphabetically. In addition to my own thoughts about each, I
solicited opinions from a jury of your peers; a small group of my friends who happen to be Lost fans (none of whom entered).

The 5 winners are listed at the bottom of this post; if you are one of them, please email me with your shipping address! I aim to ship all of them out by next weekend via regular mail or ground.

** apologies to Cat and Christine, whose entries I read when they were posted on my FB group wall but I somehow failed to include with this original post!

AGENT385:
“The top 9 reasons why I'm the biggest Lost fan:
#9 My ears perk up every time I hear the WORD 'Lost.' My father came in the other day and said 'We were on our way to Best Buy and we got lost." And I thought 'What? Who? Where? What about Lost?'
#8 Every time I visit the in laws, I bring my clothes, toothbrush and LOST DVDs...Oh yeah, I bring my kids too.

#7 Every time I'm bored, I type 'Lost' into Yahoo and click on anything that comes up.
#6 I played the Dharma Initiative Recruitment game and did not cheat. And yes, I did print up my Dharma Initiative ID card even when my husband was laughing and making fun of me.
#5 My 4 Lost puzzles that I got from my in laws are my FAVORITE Christmas gifts this year. I've already put together the first one. I had to go to Lostpedia to figure out the edge code, but I did look at the back at the glow-in-the-dark images.
#4 My mother in law got me a shirt that says 'Dharma Initiative Rabbit Stenciler' and I wear it PROUDLY! My brother in law says I beat him at being a LOST nerd vs. him being a Star Wars nerd and that's saying A LOT.
#3 I had never added strangers to my Facebook account until I met other Lost fans. And yes, my Lost friends are as dear to me as my other friends.
#2 Last night while playing the Harry Potter DVD Scene It game, I kept thinking 'Is there a Lost version?'
#1 The fact that I'm on here hoping to win a book!”

ANONYMOUS:
“I'm the biggest fan of Lost because...I'd be the biggest fan...oh, ok!! I'm not the biggest fan, BUT I would be 'that much closer' to being one IF I won one of these books. I just 'know' I would!”

ASHLIE H:
“No one I know (in real life) watches Lost. I wear a Dharma Swan Station hoodie, I carry my groceries in an Oceanic Airlines tote bag. My fiance thinks I'm crazy when I cry after watching 'The Constant' for the fourth time, or while I frantically try to watch a new episode at the same time as I post on TheFuselage for the live east coast feed. I force myself to read books that just happen to appear in scenes, as well as books that are just mentioned by the geniuses that are Darlton (still working on the Illuminatus! trilogy). I watch the video podcasts at the gym, just hoping another Lostie will notice so I will have someone to obsess with. I've done the puzzles, I've played the video game, I've pored over all the special features and I bought a PS3 for the sole purpose of being able to watch the DVDs in Blu-Ray and play the video game. I'm also trying to convince my fiance to honeymoon in Oahu, so I can visit the set (he's not really buying it yet). And of course, I get my dose of Get Lost with JOpinionated, Nik at Nite, DocArzt, DarkUFO and Dispatches from the Island. Truly, I am a Lost fan.”

AUNT J-HA:
“Whenever I see or hear a jet fly over my head I expect it to tear in two and come crashing down to earth. As it passes, I wonder if anyone on-board is secretly hoping it crashes and they end up on THE island. I have dreamt that I am Charlie's little sister (and he's younger than me). I have dreamt that Kate, Sun, and Juliet found an unknown hatch which lead them to the command center of the island, where Alvar Hanso was monitoring every moment of the island's history at the same time. During random conversations with friends or family I'll bring up Kate, or Sawyer, or any other character as if they were a personal friend of both of us. But what makes me the BIGGEST fan, more so than anyone else...is that I am already sad to think by the end of May 2010, LOST will be finished. We'll have all the answers and the poetry that is LOST will be told. Sure, we'll always have the DVDs, but no more new content. I can fully understand the reason for this end date and appreciate the succinctness it has lent to the overall story, but I know I am going to miss it. I am the biggest fan because I never complained about the length of the hiatus. Every day brings us closer to a new episode and I plan to savor every moment of this journey, this gift that is LOST."

CAROL B:
“I am the biggest LOST fan for several reasons. I believe that I am a reincarnated Dharma member, that I was killed in the first Purge by Benjamin Linus and Richard and have been reborn into the body of a single mom. My son bears a striking resemblance to Aaron, and even though he is only 2, he knows the numbers are cursed and that I am his constant. I have watched, studied, and researched almost every new aspect of the shows as they come out. I have paused the DVDs so much on specific images that my pause key is worn down to a nub. Even though I own all 4 seasons of LOST on DVD and have watched them over and over again, I still Tivo all the episodes repeated on both SciFi and G4 and watch them repeatedly. I believe that Jin is alive, I believe that we will see Charlie again. I believe that Michael may still be able to make amends with Walt (why? because Ghost Walt told me). I have influenced my entire family, I have educated them, and they are now addicted to LOST. I have all the LOST magazines in plastic and have everyone, including most of the special edition covers, since the very first magazine. I LOVE LOST. The days and hours are only counting down to one thing, the return of the best show on TV. LOST is my constant.”

CAT:
"I feel I am definitely the biggest LOST fan. I have watched every episode at LEAST 10 times, I have met Matthew Fox, Michelle Rodriguez, and Blake Bashoff (Karl), I also waited 10 hours to meet Terry O'Quinn in 10 degree weather, but he never came out. I also have my walls plastered with LOST posters, and I mean so much that its wallpaper practically. I have over 10 LOST shirts, my dog even has one, I have 3 calendars, all the trading cards, all the figurines, finished 2 of the 1000 piece puzzles, have over 50 Lost autographs. I have written over 60 letters to the main and supporting cast of lost, 11 just to Evangeline Lilly. Carlton Cuse has even sent me a cast-and-crew-only hat that Damon is wearing in the new Season 5 interview. I also have an Evangeline Lilly group on Facebook that has become the #2 largest on Facebook. I don't really know how else to explain how big of a fan I am...I mean the most I can say is that my life would drastically change if LOST was never in it...honest."

CHRISTINE:
"I am without doubt the biggest LOST fan. I watch avidly, enthralled, entranced, yet at times I'm bewildered by the events that unfold and lead me on to the exciting expectation of yet another installment of the compelling, undeniably LOST."

DOUG D:
"Wow, there are some great posts here, but I will put my thoughts down here. Well, one thing for sure, I know I'm the biggest LOST fan in the Nike+ running community. I am constantly posting theories, thoughts, and the like on the forums there. During the 3rd/4th season Hiatus, I had a large group of running challenges and involved a group of runners in LOST based challenges to pass the Hiatus. I created challenges that stepped through the first 3 seasons and led up to the 4th season (1miletogo.wordpress.com/nike/lost). I posted a theory to the USA Today contest and got A's on my theory from both Damon & Carlton. That was awesome to see them talk about my theory. Too bad there wasn't a trip to the set involved. I was actually contacted by USA Today while I was in the middle of running a relay and got the whole relay team excited about getting my theory posted. I have watched and rewatched and rewatched many of the episodes. I have enlightened my wife to the world of LOST and we often have LOST-athons. I own seasons 1&2 on DVD & 3&4 on Blu-Ray (wow, Blu-Ray was created for LOST!) Watching LOST on DVD is like potato chips, you can't just watch one, and often my wife will be like "let's watch one more." I have a watch on Amazon to be notified when Season 1 becomes available on Blu-Ray. I read LOST books, magazines, & websites. I enjoy watching the numerous LOST videos on YouTube and many of the fan-made videos that allow you to see the show in a totally different light. I have played and completely searched the Via-Domus game (was totally expecting a more searchable environment, but I hope that after season 6 another completely searchable game will be released). I have visited the LOST-SL location. I always fill in the LOST fans and non LOST fans with information on the show and I'm always looking to convert non-Losties to the awesomeness that is LOST. I am the informant for people to fill them in on mild spoilers and things coming down the pipe. I am often visiting sites to get updates and news on LOST and posting to theories. So, there you have it, I love the mystery, the characters, and everything about LOST. I have never seen a bad episode, yes some are better than others, but all are great. My mind is always thinking about the theories & Mysteries of the show. The LOST community is an awesome group of people that I'm proud to be a member of. I think I went over the paragraph limit, but my feelings for LOST go longer.”

FARAMIR:
“I think I'm the biggest Lost fan, at least in my neighborhood, because the show ate my life since May 2006, when I watched the first two seasons in about twenty days. I've become an amateur podcaster, with a segment of the first Italian podcast about Lost, Lostpod. That recurring segment eventually became a podcast in itself, called Lostbooks: it's about the books that inspired Lost that were inspired by the show. Last April I managed to get my theory to Darlton, because it ended between the top 20 of USA Today's contest: I still hope it is one of the two the authors declined to comment on because they were 'too close'. I'm planning to write a book about Lost, together with some friends from an Italian forum. After a sudden migration, last summer, to the Lostpedia Italian forum, we've been known as the Oceanic Six... because, yes, we are six. But we won't go back. Books, theories, and books again: that's why Faramir, in Italy, is a synonym of Lost-addict.”

HEATHER:
“I love LOST and protect it at all cost. Yes I am obsessed a little. Who isn't? When new episodes come on I warn people to let me be and watch the show. I even have a sign I put on the front door: "If you dare ring this bell, beware, you have summoned the smoke monster and it is not going to be pleasant!" Every episode leaves me wanting more and I love it! I re watch each episode several times looking for anything I may of missed. Weird thing is now, when I hear people whispering I think the others are coming! I think I scared my neighbor more than me! I guess I have to be careful with those torches!”

HILLARY P:
“I love Lost. There is rarely an occasion that I don't bring it up in one way or another. I talk it up to friends and family as a show that encompasses so many genres seamlessly; it has something - usually several things - for everyone. We host Lost parties for premieres and finales. We hook up friends with seasons to watch and get them hooked. I love reading theories and interviews with the cast and adore everything Darlton. And while I may not have started watching until S3 (for lack of cable during S1 & S2), I watched 3 seasons non-stop until the S4 launch. I think Lost is the most fantabulous show because of its stellar writing and acting, the camaraderie of the cast off-screen (which totally shows through), and the both intelligent and moving characters and story lines. Does this make me the biggest fan? Who knows. All I know is Jan 21 can't come fast enough and I get very antsy waiting a week for the next episode.”

IVIBEBLK:
“I'm the biggest Lost fan there is. I am because I am totally prepared for the new season of Lost. I am watching every episode from the first to the last...now that's some serious fandom right there. I also ordered the Dharma Initiative Laptop Skin for my laptop for a gift for me. I so am the biggest fan that I actually have Lost EpS4 on pause while I write my comment right now. Finally of course only a true true Lost fan would want to spend their winter break watching over 80 episodes of Lost. So I'm the biggest fan.”

JOSHUA L:
“Well, I missed the deadline. Reason for being late: Wow! I was watching Lost! I'll admit I wasn't one for the show when it first came on, it took years before I finally became an addict, which was the 2nd to last episode of Season 3, but when I did become an addict, I was hooked. I had seen a few episodes here and there but I finally decided to see what the show was about. So I bought the first season. In a day and a half I had watched the entire collection and then sought after Season 2 and devoured it just as quickly. When the Seasons 3 and 4 box sets came out, I was late to work so I could be the first one to buy them. This year my one major purpose for going to Comic Con was for the Dharma Initiative recruitment. I waited near their booth for hours so I could make sure I was able to be interviewed since I was only there for one day, and sure enough I one of the lucky few able to get an interview on the first day. I'm such a fan I kept believing that the Jeremy Bentham Facebook could "indeed" be real, though my gut was telling me otherwise, and tried acting like a soothsayer in spreading the word of the MacCutcheon-loving-geezer. Indeed! It's true! Most folks around me always hear the random Lost-banter and are sometimes annoyed by this. On my backpack there is a patch for the Arrow Station. During Halloween I dressed in a white lab coat and put on a patch of the Staff, and plan to wear it at this year's Comic Con. I've also managed to spread the Lost-addiction to three co-workers, one friend, and re-spawned the addiction in another who lost interest after Season 2. I've also written a few songs that are inspired from the show. All and all that is why I believe I'm the biggest Lost fan.”

KATHRYN L:
“I am without a doubt among many who call themselves 'the biggest Lost fan' so I cannot isolate myself from my other Lostie friends. I will say that I am hopelessly consumed with this show, watching reruns, discussing theories and dissecting all that is Lost. My kids know to leave me alone when I am watching Lost and my husband joins me to watch and then talk about what is happening, has happened and what we think will happen. I am so intrigued by the writing for this show, it is well thought out, purposeful and imaginative-it leaves one thinking well after the show is over and I love that. I will be intrigued with Lost long after the last episode has aired, watching reruns, analyzing different theories with my Lostie family and friends, and rereading Lost books. I suspect I will continue to love all that is Lost for a very long time.”

MAVEN:
“I believe I am the biggest LOST fan, and I deserve to win one of the BOOK CLUB prizes. I have always taken the INITIATIVE when it comes to being involved in watching Lost. I PURGE all non-Lost thoughts from my mind whenever a new episode airs. I'm so anxious for it to start I wish it would begin at 8:15 instead of nine. I batten down the HATCHES and my total ORIENTATION is on the television screen. No OTHERS can talk to me. If my husband WHISPERS something to me while the show is on, I don't pay attention. In fact, I am so cold to him he thinks I'm a POLAR BEAR! I make sure to go to the JOHN before it starts. I JACK up the COMPUTER on my lap and take copious notes. My greatest fear is that it will CRASH. Sometimes I get a CHARLIE horse in my hands from typing so much. There is so much to this show, I can post comments until the SUN comes up. I've BEN a fan since day one. Many NUMBERS of my friends and family (at least 108 of them) think I'm totally obsessed with this show. They believe I become a MONSTER when I want to talk to them about it. And I'm always trying to SMOKE out other fans.”

NURBY:
“I started with the first episode, not knowing what to expect. While others were watching to see who would get fired, I got hooked on Lost. Although the show was only a hour long, somehow hours would go by online while I literally got lost. Numbers, those numbers… what does it mean. Trying to make sense of everything and surrendering to not understanding anything. Attempting to discuss with others proved hard. But then I got introduced to JOpinionated. Observing the show, rather than just watching it, frame by frame. One might think I was crazy, as I have to watch with complete silence. Knowing that if I divert my eyes or make a noise I will miss a very important piece to the mystery. Patiently now I wait for the next season. Lingering between anticipation and fear for what might happen next. Each day is a countdown to January 21. A teaser and some theories keep me going for now. So many unanswered questions waiting to be answered. Enjoying every moment of it, I can’t wait to start discussing again soon!!!”

SHANNON K:
“First I would like to say that I am thrilled to hear that Damon loves The Watchmen. I have already read that book (It's amazing and am happy you've included it among the others because it's such a great read. We've already watched the movie via satellite here on the island. It was very exciting, even though it took a little extra effort and wheel turning to get it). Anyway, this is why I believe I should win your contest. I AM an other. If you don't believe me you can check out my pics on Facebook. The truth is in the pictures. I was also the first Other to be interviewed in full "Other" garb by ABC online as a representative of our people. I was raised in CA for a number of years until I was recruited to the island. They needed my help in educating some of the younger recruits. While most of the books you are offering can be found in one of our homes or hatches here on the island, Sawyer seems to have tampered with most of them. Plus, we're kind of on the down-low at the moment, so a good book would be nice to pass the time. How about this agreement: You award me with a book and I'll tell you all about our island pet Smokey.”

And the winners are:
  • Agent385
  • Aunt J-Ha
  • Carol B
  • Doug D
  • Maven
Thank you again!!

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