When millions of fans tune in each week to catch up on Survivor, they're treated to images of the tribe scurrying around a stunning beach, with not another human being in sight. The reality? These castaways are surrounded by dozens of crew members: the producers, camera operators, sound engineers, and others who never appear on our screens but have a major influence on the story.
Stephen Fishbach knows firsthand how unique this experience is for the contestants. He was the runner-up in 2009's Survivor: Tocantins, then returned for another season when fans voted him back into the game for Survivor: Cambodia in 2015; he continues to analyze the show's strategy as one of the co-hosts of the Survivor Know It Alls podcast. Fishbach combines his personal insights with deep thoughts on the cultural meaning of reality TV in his riveting new novel, Escape!, which you can pick up for yourself right here.
Escape! chronicles the production of a show not dissimilar from Survivor. The novel follows the contestants as they're stranded on an island in hopes of winning a big prize, as well as the producers who are strategizing just as much as players, in their pursuit of making the best TV possible. The dichotomy between what the players and producers want makes for fascinating conflict, and the book offers an eye-opening look at the power dynamic we don't get to see on screen.
"I wanted Escape! to channel the true emotional experience of what it’s like to be a reality contestant on a jungle show," Fishbach tells KCM. "You’re starving, you’re lying to people’s faces, you’re freezing in torrential downpours. It’s the most intense experience of your life, and yet the ultimate end goal is an episode of reality TV. I think that’s such an interesting tension."
Escape! makes for a propulsive read — but what to do after you've flown through its pages? Not to worry: Below, Fishbach shares recommendations for five other fantastic books (novels and nonfiction) that'll take you inside the juicy worlds of movies, TV, music, and theater.
Stephen Fishbach's Favorite Behind-the-Scenes Books
Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum
Fishbach: "I thought I knew everything about Survivor until I read this book. Nussbaum tracks the history of unscripted programming, from Candid Camera to The Apprentice. This is essential reading if you’re a reality TV fan, or just want to read the crazy, morally dubious stories of how rule-breaking innovators built a new genre of television that’s come to dominate our culture."
We Eat Our Own by Kea Wilson
"This novel’s plot is as creepy and twisty as a jungle river. Based on the real-life production of the gonzo movie Cannibal Holocaust (1980), this book takes you on-set into the Amazonian rainforest, where a shlocky Italian producer is shooting a found-footage horror film. Even the actors aren’t totally sure what’s real and what’s for the cameras, and the jungle is filled with menace."
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
"If you prefer sweet to creepy, Romantic Comedy may be the book for you. It’s got a classic rom-com structure, set on an SNL-style show, where a self-deprecating writer has crackling tension with the show’s hunky guest host. A long section set as a back-and-forth during Covid lockdown is the most charming take on the pandemic you’ll ever read."
The Love Song of Jonny Valentine by Teddy Wayne
"I adore this book about an 11-year-old Justin Bieber-style pop star. There’s concert performances, media appearances, and staged romances, but what makes this book so incredible isn’t just the behind-the-scenes look at early celebrity. (Jonny can’t leave his hotel room without making his momager mad.) Wayne captures how a young boy trapped in the entertainment machine would be both too-knowing and emotionally stunted, a master at tracking album sales but a disaster at the complex world of human relationships. It’s at once hilarious and heartbreaking."
Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of An Artist by Daniel Pollack-Pelzner
"This extraordinary new biography of Lin-Manuel Miranda offers revelations on artistic education and creation. Of course, the book tracks the development of In the Heights and Hamilton, but there are also interviews with everyone from Miranda himself to his high school girlfriend. The book shows how Miranda only became such a visionary creator through the guidance of key mentors and collaborators. It's ideal for any aspiring artist, or someone who's just fascinated by the way theater is made."
