Without storms, ships and lonely islands, the literature of the early modern period would be a lot poorer.
Fictional seafarers were constantly stranded on fictional shores and encountered examples of politics and lifestyle that were either worth imitating or frightening, which is why these adventure stories have a lot of social criticism in their luggage.
One of the best-known representatives of this genre, a certain Robinson Crusoe, finds his lonely island so barren and wild that he is building infrastructure to the best of his ability and, with the only friend he can pick up there, installing a British-style state structure with himself as head . Over the centuries, thanks to civilization and sea rescue, it became increasingly difficult to get lost on remote islands for years. Anyone who as an author still chooses the genre of the Robinsonade today, such as the scriptwriters of the series "Lost", has to spread a lot of metaphysics over the plot in order to make it appear halfway believable.
Recently, however, we have received extremely interesting reports from people stranded in the middle of civilization, which give this half-forgotten genre new impetus. In a pub in the north of Yorkshire, for example, 61 guests stayed for three nights. There was beer, enough to eat, a fire in the fireplace, karaoke, and a full Oasis cover band snowed in with it. So the mood wasn't bad at all; and if you believe the landlady's statements, the guests even volunteered to help with the dishes.
Another group was hit in Aalborg, Denmark, where a snowstorm hit so hard that an Ikea furniture store became a refuge for a bunch of employees and drivers who couldn't make it home. They reportedly lived comfortably in the exposed beds, watching TV, playing cards and eating cinnamon rolls. As far as we know, nobody wanted to install a state structure, because everything was already in perfect order. If the islands you are stranded on are a Scandinavian furniture paradise or a plush pub, what could be improved? The only utopias that can still be lived out are to cancel all appointments, pour yourself a beer, form a committed community of fate and spend time with friends and family.What social criticism is packed in these modern robinsonades? We hardly dare to think before the end of the day.