Uncovering the Truth with LOST Encyclopedia and Inception: The Shooting Script

Following the end of the hit TV series Lost, many fans finally got the answers they were waiting six seasons for — but most didn't. Those angry and disappointed fans complained for weeks about how so-and-so was never explained and then went to the Lostpedia message boards to hunt for answers.

A couple of months later, Inception premiered in theaters and the same thing happened. At the end of the film, fans were audibly groaning at the ambiguous ending, but their disappointment didn't stop them from watching the film four times to scour every detail for clues.

Lost's executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and Inception's director Christopher Nolan know all about the doubt, confusion and mayhem they've cruelly left behind. Thankfully, their latest works may finally provide some new insight.

Lindelof and Cuse are the authors of the foreword to the upcoming Lost Encyclopedia (October 2010). This 400-page text comes with 1,500 pictures and discusses the myriad characters, locations and overlapping storylines from all six seasons. Authors Tara Bennett and Paul Terry know their LOST inside and out due to their previous experience writing and editing for LOST: The Official Magazine. ABC has also given its stamp of authenticity by making this guide the only fully licensed encyclopedia that covers the entire series.

Inception: The Shooting Script, released on Sept. 1, provides details about the movie straight from the horse's mouth. This book, written by Nolan, provides the shooting script, which has some discrepancies from the final movie version. In addition, the book includes storyboards, concept art and an interview with Nolan. But the most intriguing feature would have to be the appendix that explains how to use the PASIV device, better known as the dream machine.

It's highly unlikely that these books will tie up all the loose ends of Lost and Inception. But between the high-quality images and the thorough explanations, some things will probably make a lot more sense. So if you're among the true blue fans who are unsatisfied with how Lost and Inception ended, be sure to pick up these books. With the input of the mastermind creators themselves, your Lost and Inception collections would be incomplete without them.