Stephen Fishbach just published his first novel, and it's a must-read for Survivor fans.
The premise for Escape!, per Penguin’s Random House, is: “A propulsive debut novel following a has-been reality TV star and a disgraced producer who get one last shot at redemption on a show set on a remote island, only to discover that the plot twists are beyond what they ever imagined. Everyone gets the story arc they deserve.”
In other words, the book tells the story of Kent Duvall, a once-famous reality TV star who won a survival show in his prime. Now, Kent is middle-aged, about to be divorced, and on the verge of a midlife crisis when he gets a new opportunity to rejoin this “coveted” world. Simultaneously, the novel also tells the story of Beck Bermann, a once-popular TV producer who was embroiled in controversy for crossing ethical lines to get ‘the perfect shot’, and is hired to produce a new show called Escape!
Beck must then face familiar and new trials in producing and living in the piranha-infested waters of reality TV, while also grappling with the weight of her past decisions. Beck and Kent will have to endure much more than they signed up for if they ever want to outwit their new reality, or if the cost of escaping will also claim their last thread of humanity.
Fishbach, also known as a Survivor-Know-It-All to the community, is a two-time former player. Fishbach participated in Survivor: Tocantins back in 2009 and was part of the Jalapao tribe, and alongside his tribemates J.T. Thomas and Taj Johnson-Geroge, took complete control of the season’s post-merge and was one of the most dominant contestants in Survivor’s history. Fishbach made it to the Final Two, where Thomas’ social game prevailed over Fishbach’s, and the jury awarded Thomas the win.
In 2015, Fishbach was voted by fans to participate in one of Survivor’s most memorable seasons, Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chance, where, true to its name, the contestants were given a second chance to settle old scores and demonstrate their abilities once more, hopefully with better results. Fishbach maneuvered himself into the post-merge due to his strategic savviness and ability to manipulate several “voting blocks”, but was ultimately voted out in 9th place.
Since his Survivor appearances, Fishbach has remained one of Survivor’s most well-known contestants, most notably through gameplay analysis on several podcasts, including Rob Has a Podcast (RHAP) alongside Rob Cesternino. Every week while a season airs, Fishbach and Cesternino get together on the Survivor Know-It-Alls podcast and comment on the latest episode, including their thoughts on the players, the gameplay, and the overall season, which is always a treat for the Survivor fans who are always looking for extra Survivor content.
Fishbach is also a highly well-known blogger and writer, with his work appearing across multiple platforms, including People Magazine. In January 2026, Fishbach delved into the publishing world with his debut fiction novel called Escape!
My take on Escape!
When I first heard about Fishbach’s novel, I got extremely excited. From his time on Survivor to his articles and insights across various podcasts, I’ve always appreciated his intel and reads on strategic and social gameplay. Knowing his thoughts would be further expanded upon in his novel, a satirical version of his experiences both on and off Survivor and in the reality world, I just knew it was going to be my type of book.
Escape! not only includes Survivor references, production and editing knowledge, and escapism (pun intended), but also highlights the plethora of opportunities and mishaps that can come with immersing oneself in the unknown of what it takes to be on or produce a TV show like this. While Fishbach is clear and adamant from the beginning that his experience on Survivor doesn’t reflect what happens in his novel, it is still quite interesting to read about the behind-the-scenes of this world, albeit in such an exaggerated version.
As a long-time Survivor fan, I was giddy every time I came across a Survivor (or adjacent) reference, and I wasn't surprised to see Fishbach be highly adept at translating his personal experiences to the page. His novel reads almost as a Survivor fan’s ultimate dream of having inner knowledge of how our favourite show is produced.
The only critique I have is that I would’ve liked the ending to play out differently, but I also understand that's how life and Survivor sometimes unfold. All in all, if you’re a Survivor fan and/or like a well-written satirical survivalist novel, then don’t hesitate to read Escape!