Books Like Lost Horizon

Humanity has always been fascinated with flying, but with the freedom of flight, there is always the risk of crashing. Even with modern inventions and safety precautions, there is still an element of risk involved with airplanes, whether due to human error, mechanical failure, or even the weather. Various authors have also tackled this subject in different ways. For example, in Lost Horizon by James Milton, a plane crashes while flying over the mountains to Tibet and the four survivors make their way to the lamasery of Shangri-La. For more books that deal with the unexpected aftermaths of plane crashes, check out the following books like Lost Horizon.

In The Unlikely Event

by Judy Blume

In The Unlikely Event is a 2015 novel by Judy Blume, author of Summer Sisters and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. What makes the novel unique is that it was the author's first adult novel in 17. In The Unlikely Event is set in the early 1950s and is based on events that actually took place in the author's hometown during that time period. During the early fifties, airline travel was still a new and exciting experience for most people, but then a succession of airplanes fell from the sky, leaving the community where it happened in shock. This novel follows Miri Ammerman as she returns to her hometown for a commemoration thirty-five years after the crashes took place. In The Unlikely Event is more than just a novel about plane crashes, but also about how tragedy affects people.

The Three

by Sara Lotz

The Three by Sara Lotz is a novel that features four simultaneous plane crashes as its launching point. These four commuter planes crash on different continents within hours of each other. There appears to be no correlation between the crashes except for the strange fact that a live child survivor is found in three of the crashes. The international press is fascinated by the story and quickly dubs the survivors "The Three." Although they all exhibit disturbing behavioral problems, most people believe that it is due to the horrors the children experienced as well as the constant media attention. However, things go from bad to worse when a rapture cult begins to insist that the survivors are actually the harbingers of the apocalypse. As the children are forced to go into hiding, their behavior becomes even more disturbing, and soon even their guardians begin to have doubts about their wards.

Dear Edward

by Ann Napolitano

Dear Edward was published in 2020 and is the third novel by Ann Napolitano. The story is about Edward Adler, a twelve-year-old boy who boards a flight headed for Los Angeles along with his older brother, parents, and 183 other passengers. Unfortunately, halfway between Newark and Los Angeles, the plane crashes, and Edward emerges as the tragedy's sole survivor. His miraculous survival captures the nation's attention, but Edward struggles to find his place in the world without his family. Napolitano stated that she was inspired to write the story after the crash of Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771, where a 9-year-old-boy was the only survivor amongst 103 passengers.

Before The Fall

by Noah Hawley

Before The Fall by Noah Hawley centers around the crash of a private jet heading to New York from Martha's Vineyard. The plane plunges into the ocean with eleven people on board, but only a struggling artist named Scott Burroughs and a four-year-old boy survive. The boy is the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul's family, while Scott is the only person on the plane who was not privileged and down on his luck. The novel delves into the backstories of the people who died in the crash, and it soon becomes clear that the accident might not have been an accident at all.

Departure

by A. G. Riddle

Departure by A. G. Riddle is about the plane crashing en route from New York to London. When Flight 305 suddenly loses power over the English countryside, some survivors quickly realize that the world they have crashed in is not the same as the one they left. The story is told from the main characters' perspective as they discover that some of the survivors know more about what is going on than what they are letting on. As the survivors struggle to stay alive, they not only have to figure out where they are and why they are there but also how they will get back home.

Final Approach

by John J. Nance

Final Approach is an aviation thriller by John J. Nance, who is also an aviation expert and experienced pilot. It opens with one of the worst aviation disasters of the decade as two aircraft collide on a runway at Kansas City International Airport. Joe Wallingford, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator, arrives on the scene to study the wreckage. Still, as he pieces together the events, he begins to suspect that pilot error or equipment malfunction was not the cause. Finally, Joe realizes that something much bigger was involved, but to solve the puzzle of the crash, he might have to risk his career and even his life.

The Last Flight

by Julie Clark

The Last Flight by Julie Clark is the story of Claire Cook, a woman with a seemingly perfect life. She is married to the scion of a political dynasty, but what he doesn't know is that she has spent months working on a plan to vanish after she has had enough of his violent temper. As he is not above using his staff to track her every move, Claire takes advantage of a chance meeting with another woman named Eva at an airport bar. Since her circumstances are equally dire, the two make the last-minute decision to switch tickets in the hopes of getting a head start over those who would come looking for them. However, this head start turns into a new life when one of the flights crashes and Claire assumes the identity of Eva.