I've found that in most of these stories, the people who have lived alone haven't been without human contact for any significant period of time. If that fact wa

I've found that in most of these stories, the people who have lived alone haven't been without human contact for any significant period of time. If that fact wasn't downplayed or outright omitted the story probably wouldn't sell as well. In this aspect, their stories are not that different from the tens or hundreds of thousands of lonely people whose apartment or house might as well be an island. It's probably also very difficult to live anywhere for years without eventually running into someone, never mind decades.