Desert island Autodidactus" inspired Robert Boyle, an acquaintance of Pococke, to write his own philosophical novel set on a deserted island, "The Aspiring Naturalist". Ibn al-Nafis' "Theologus Autodidactus" was also eventually translated into English in the early 20th century. Published in 1719, Daniel Defoe's novel "Robinson Crusoe" about a castaway on a desert island has spawned so many imitations in film, television and radio that its name was used to define a genre, Robinsonade. The novel features Man Friday, Crusoe's personal assistant. It is likely that Defoe took inspiration for Crusoe from a Scottish sailor named Alexander Selkirk, who was rescued in
The Seance (Lawrence novel) The Seance (Lawrence novel) The Seance is a mystery novel by Iain Lawrence, first published in 2008. It is set in America in the 1920s. The main character is thirteen-year-old illusionist Scooter King, who lives with his mother the medium, helping her to host seances and make a small living. Scooter admires Harry Houdini, a famous magician and escape artist. He can't wait to see him escape from his deadly Torture Tank. One night, Scooter stumbles on a dead man in the Torture Tank. Little does he know that the dead man is Herman Day. A few days later, Harry