Concerning the hidden ending to the novel Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk
Note: SPOILERS. Do not continue if you haven't finished the book or don't wish the secret ending to be spoiled. Remember, even though you might've finished the book doesn't mean you know the secret ending! It is never explicitly stated! If you want to figure it our for yourself, stop reading now.
No, I'm not talking about a Tyler Durden/Keyser Soze type twist. Rather, this twist is not explicitly stated. Here's a quote from Mr. Palahniuk himself detailing the secret:
The end of Survivor isn't nearly so complicated. It's noted on page 7
(8?) that a pile of valuable offerings has been left in the front of the
passenger cabin. This pile includes a cassette recorder. Even before our hero starts to dictate his story -- during the few minutes he's supposed to
be taking a piss -- he's actually in the bathroom dictating the last chapte
into the cassette recorder. It's just ranting, nothing important plot-wise,
and it can be interrupted at any point by the destruction of the plane. The
minute the fourth engine flames out, he starts the cassette talking, then
bails out, into Fertility's waiting arms (she's omniscient, you know).
The rest of the book is just one machine whining and bitching to another
machine. The crash will destroy the smaller recorder, but the surviving
black box will make it appear that Tender is dead.
The above quote was taken from the pages of The Cult, at http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net. They claim the quote is genuine, taken from the horse's mouth. (This is the web site which Chuck mentions of the Fight Club DVD audio commentary track). While this ending seems a little forced, it is an interesting twist for an author reknowned for his secret endings. Also, The Cult is an excellent web site for all Palahniuk related information (with tons of extra Palahniuk writings and interviews).