There’s a saying on Survivor: “Perception is reality.” There’s a saying on TikTok: “Do it for the plot.” Both maxims are about the stories people tell themselves. The first acknowledges that someone’s read of a situation will shape the outcome—even if they’re reading things wrong. The second declares that all of life is a story and you need to provide the drama. The desire to treat life as a narrative—and then control that narrative—is the subject of Stephen Fishbach’s debut novel, Escape ! , a