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 Adventurer (novel) The Adventurer (novel) The Adventurer (UK title: Michael The Finn; original title "Mikael Karvajalka") is a novel by Finnish author Mika Waltari, published in 1948. It is a fictional tale of young Finnish man, Mikael Karvajalka ("Hairy-foot"), set in 16th century medieval Europe. The main character Mikael is shown as an intellectual but rather naive person, starting his life as an orphan bastard who pursues a better social status with help of friendly people and by means of theological studies, but ends up drifting along through historical events across Europe rather than being able to steer his life himself. The