Im looking for stories about life during or after the collapse of society. As far as realism goes, I can live with most things as long as its not so absurd that it makes no sense (for example the sun vanishes one day). Ive read a few of these sort of stories in my teenage years but I dont recall any particular ones. So have at it and suggest anything from the classics to the hidden gems of the genre.
One of the most interesting apocalypse stories ive come accross is the video game the long dark. It follows two characters who get separated after their plane crashes due to a carrington event-like solar storm. No zombies, no magic, just bitter cold wilderness and local residents to meet along the survival journey. Some kind and helpful and some batshit insane. The story is being released in chapters so theres no “ending” yet but its really cool so far.