'The Gospel According to LOST'

Ever since the bestselling Gospel According to Peanuts, published in 1965, writers have been looking for spiritual messages in pop culture. Now, Houston writer Chris Seay has come up with The Gospel According to LOST (coming Dec. 29; Thomas Nelson, $14.99). It is illustrated with clever iconographic portraits of major series characters such as Hurley ("Felix," Latin for "luck") and Locke ("Apator," Greek for "fatherless").

If you've ever wondered why LOST's writers take so long to unravel the show's mysteries, Seay says, there's a very good reason: Series creator J.J. Abrams just loves mysteries.

Abrams' love of the unknown is hardly a storytelling fad; it is a lifelong
pursuit. As a child, Abrams would go to a quirky magic shop in midtown Manhattan with his beloved grandfather, who once bought him a Tannen's Magic Mystery Box filled with $50 worth of magic tricks. This striking box filled with surprises is the ultimate treasure for an aspiring young magician and storyteller, but young Abrams chose not to open the box -- in fact, he still has not opened it.
The mysterious box marked with a question mark sits on a shelf next to his desk,
and he continues to wonder about the infinite possibilities of what the box
contains. Abrams says, "It represents hope. It represents potential. Mystery
boxes are in everything I do. That blank page is a magic box. What are stories
but mystery boxes?"