I still remember the thrill of intrigue I felt the first time a polar bear turned up on Lost. The story was already bizarre; I’d been introduced to the wreckage of an airplane, an unseen monster, and a cast of untrustworthy characters with compelling backstories.… Read the rest
Book Review: Things You Leave Behind, by M.L. Kennedy Read More »
We have come to the end of this discussion.
In past entries I have argued that Lost has all of the essential characteristics of the Gothic, that its colonial cultural critique is fundamentally Gothic, and that it uses a Gothic vocabulary for sharing the mysterious through the supernatural.… Read the rest
Was Lost Gothic? Do We Care? (Part 4) Read More »
Last week, I argued both that Lost was Gothic in its inversion of colonial power structures, and that this inversion was written to be relevant in our globalized 21st century society. Today I’ll take on the use of the supernatural in Lost, and make a parallel argument: the use of the supernatural in Lost is Gothic, and this use of the supernatural is also relevant in the 21st century.… Read the rest
Was Lost Gothic? Do We Care? (Part 3) Read More »
Last week, I suggested that the popular television show Lost was an essentially Gothic story in the spirit of Beckford’s Vathek, Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, and other “oriental” Romances. I claimed that the popularity of show would be a powerful argument for the continuing effectiveness of the Gothic mode. … Read the rest
Was Lost Gothic? Do We Care? (Part 2) Read More »
When we hear the word “Gothic” our minds fall immediately into a realm of cloudy skies, naked trees, ruinous cathedrals, and demoniac pacts. With a little bit of extension, however, we can easily transfer these motifs while retaining the mood of age and decay.… Read the rest
Was Lost Gothic? Do we care? Read More »