Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Which later books and films were influenced by Robinson Crusoe?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe, engraving by M. Van der Gucht, after a portrait by J. Taverner, first half of the 18th century.
Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (1719) established the "robinsonade," a literary genre centered on the survival of a castaway on a desert island. The novel's influence spans centuries, inspiring numerous adaptations and thematic imitations in literature and film.12
Literary Influences
- The Swiss Family Robinson (1812–27): A classic robinsonade by Johann Rudolf Wyss depicting a family’s survival and prosperity on an island.12
- The Mysterious Island (1874): Jules Verne’s novel features castaways who utilize limited resources to build an industrial society.1
- Philosophical and Economic Works: The novel’s themes of self-reliance and social structure were referenced in Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Émile (1762) and Karl Marx’s Das Kapital (1867).2
Cinematic Influences
Several films have riffed on the novel’s characters and premise, ranging from direct adaptations to oblique references:
* His Girl Friday (1940)2
* Swiss Family Robinson (1960)2
* Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964), which adapted the survival narrative for a science fiction setting.2