A Robinsonade is a literary genre of fiction in which a person or group is suddenly separated from civilization, usually by shipwreck or marooning on a secluded and uninhabited island, and must improvise the means of their survival from the limited resources at hand. The genre takes its name from Daniel Defoe's 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe, whose enormous popularity produced numerous imitations and established a recognizable literary category, sometimes called the desert island story or castaway narrative.
Facts
Place of OriginThe genre's name derives from Daniel Defoe's 1719 English novel Robinson Crusoe, but the term itself was coined in Germany by writer Johann Gottfried Schnabel in 1731. 1 Notable ExampleAndy Weir's 2011 novel The Martian, later adapted into a 2015 film, is a science-fiction robinsonade set on Mars. 1 Defining TraitCommon themes include the protagonist's isolation on a desert island or uninhabited planet, a new beginning for the characters, self-reflection as a plot device, contact with indigenous peoples or extraterrestrial life, and social commentary. 1 Connections
Sources
1. Robinsonade (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)Common themes section
Common themes of robinsonade works include the protagonists being in a state of isolation (e.g. on a desert island or an uninhabited planet), a new beginning for the work's characters, self-reflection as a plot point, contact with indigenous peoples or extraterrestrial life and social commentary.
Science fiction robinsonade section
A popular venue of SF robinsonades is Mars, e.g., Rex Gordon's No Man Friday (1956) or Andy Weir's 2011 The Martian and its 2015 film adaptation.
lede, second paragraph
The word "robinsonade" was coined by the German writer Johann Gottfried Schnabel in the Preface of his 1731 novel Palisades Island (German: Insel Felsenburg).
lede
Robinsonade is a literary genre of fiction wherein a person or a group of persons is suddenly separated from civilization, usually by being shipwrecked or marooned on a secluded and uninhabited island, and must improvise the means of their survival from the limited resources at hand.
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