The Mysterious Island, by pioneering science-fiction author Jules Verne, is the story of a group of Union prisoners who escape from a Confederate prison and wind up on the title island, where they settle. Eventually, they discover that someone is watching them. It turns out that they landed on Captain Nemo's island, home port of the Nautilus.
The book contains a large amount of scientific knowledge, especially as it relates to the foundations of emergency survival, colonization, and eventual civilization.
One of the escaped prisoners is engineer Cyrus Smith (or Cyrus Harding in some translations). He determines, through methods available to anyone with a watch, that the island is "between the 35th and 40th parallels" south, and "between the 150th and 155th meridians west of the Greenwich meridian." According to the book, their island is at least 1200 miles from Tahiti and Pomotau, 1800 from New Zealand, and 4500 from the Americas.
In Lost
- The book is referenced by Shannon when she refers to their island as "Mystery Frickin' Island." ("Whatever the Case May Be")
The content of this book is referenced by the show both directly and thematically.
The following are direct references to this classic Verne work:
- Joop, the Hanso Foundation's 105-year-old orangutan (captured by British explorers) was first seen in the early days of the Lost Experience. This is an obvious reference to Jupe (Jupiter), the ape in this novel. In a translation by Jordan Stump (2001, 2004 Random House), the ape's name is phonetically spelled Joop, to be more easily pronounced by American lips. Given Jules Verne's fame, and the fame of his books around the world, it is likely that the (fictional) ape-capturing explorers named their captured orangutan after the one in Verne's novel.
- The Verne castaways also have a dog, named Top, with them on their island. Top is a hound of "Anglo-Norman" breeding.
- The date of the storm that eventually causes the crash of the balloon is March 23, 1865 (note the number 23).
- The prisoners escape using a balloon, which crashes on the shores of an uncharted island, where mysterious events occur. As airplanes had not yet been invented, this is a match for the lost Flight 815.
- The balloon crash also calls to mind Henry Gale and his balloon crash, though his came down in the interior, not the shores.
The following are more thematic references to Mysterious Island:
- The three parts: Part I covers the immediate survival of the castaways and also hints at mysterious happenings on the island (similar to season one); Part II shows the castaways exploring the island and discovering more mysteries and ends with the sighting of a ship (similar to season two); Part III tells of increasing danger and final revelation of the mysterious island. Perhaps this will be like season three?
- The presence of hostiles on an island: Six marooned pirates hide in the forest of the island and threaten the castaways. This is similar to the presence of the hostile Others.
- The protection of the island is lost: Strange events allow the castaways to survive and avoid disaster (such as a signal fire to guide their sloop and discovery of survival supplies). This protection is dropped when six nasty pirates are loose on the island. Locke's faith in the benevolence of the island is shaken when the smoke monster tries to attack him.
- Cyrus Smith is an engineer and leader of the castaways. He has a broad base of knowledge and approaches all things in a methodic and scientific manner. Some of these character traits are shown in Jack. Here is a quote from the book regarding Cyrus: "Nevertheless, his dogged sense of reason was exasperated to find itself faced with such a thoroughly inexplicable event, and he raged at the thought that around him, or perhaps above him, lurked an influence he could not define." (Part II, Ch VI)
- Harbert Brown is a 15-year old orphaned son of a sea captain and a talented naturalist. He is able to identified a wide range of flora and fauna on the island, which is an invaluable talent for the cast aways. Having a boy among the castaways is similar to Walt with the Lostaways. The naturalist, to a lesser extent, for the Lostaways is Sun.
- Gideon Spilett is a journalist for the New York Herald. While he lacks a specialist skill, he compensates by his dedication to helping in the best way he can. Charlie has some of these same characteristics. Gideon is able to save Harbert from a near-fatal gunshot wound. So he has some medical background like Jack.
- Pencroff is a faithful, but also strong willed and quick tempered sailor.
- Neb is an African American servant to Cyrus Smith. He is singularly devoted to Cyrus and willing to do anything to care for him. His specialty is cooking meals, though he is also a good hunter and assists with most other efforts of the castaways. His devotion is reminiscent of Rose-Bernard relationship.
- Ayrton is a former sailor who had been exiled to Tabor Island when his plan to take over a ship for piracy had been discovered. He had been living on the island for twelve years before he was discovered by the castaways. Isolation had driven him to madness. It took much effort by the castaways to bring him back to his senses and then to convince him that his guilt had been forgiven. Despite their efforts, he still lived apart from the castaways. This character is reflected in the French woman, Rousseau.
- Top is a dog with great intelligence. He is a trustworthy friend and is able to understand and carry out all orders by his master Cyrus. Vincent is also a dog who seems to know something more about the island.