List of fiction set in Chicago

List of fiction set in Chicago

This is a list of stories that happen in or near Chicago. Many famous books, movies, and TV shows use Chicago as their main place. The city has a rich history and many interesting spots, which makes it a popular choice for writers and filmmakers. Learning about stories set in Chicago can help us understand the city’s culture and see how it inspires imagination.

Novels

This section lists many stories and books set in or near Chicago. These novels show many different characters and adventures, helping us see many parts of life in this busy city.

Short stories

Here are some short stories set in Chicago.

One story from 1906, called "Chicago Invaded by Hordes of Prehistoric Monsters Dealing Death and Destruction," was published as an April Fools' prank. Another story from 1953, called "Deadly City," is about aliens invading Chicago.

There are stories like "About Boston" by Ward Just, which compares Boston and Chicago, and "Big Boy" by David Sedaris, set on Easter Sunday in Chicago.

Other collections of Chicago stories include Chicago Stories: 40 Dramatic Fictions and The Coast of Chicago: Stories. There is also a fairy tale called "The Box of Robbers" by Lyman Frank Baum.

Plays and musicals

Many fun plays and musicals are set in Chicago. Some popular ones include American Buffalo, Bleacher Bums, and the famous musical Chicago, which won many awards. Others like Clybourne Park, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Mean Girls also take place there. There are many more exciting stories from the city on stage!

Films

Many popular movies are set in or around Chicago, Illinois. Some well-known films include The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Home Alone, and Mean Girls. These stories often show the city's unique neighborhoods and culture.

Some films feature exciting adventures in Chicago, such as The Dark Knight and Spider-Man 2. Others show the city facing big challenges, like Transformers: Dark of the Moon, where the city deals with a battle between robots.

Music videos

Many popular music videos were filmed in Chicago. They often show famous places like the "L" train, Millennium Park, and Navy Pier. Songs like "Hard to Handle" by Black Crowes, "Jam" by Michael Jackson, and "Homecoming" by Kanye West show different parts of the city. Videos for artists like Common (rapper), Rise Against, and Fall Out Boy also highlight Chicago's unique spots and culture.

Television shows

Many TV shows use Chicago as their main setting. Some of these shows are According to Jim, The Bob Newhart Show, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago P.D., ER, Family Matters, The Good Wife, Married... with Children, Mike and Molly, Prison Break, Roseanne, Shameless, South Side, and The Untouchables.

Other shows like Batman: The Animated Series, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Casagrandes, Exosquad, Ozark, Postcards from Buster, Raven's Home, and Station Eleven also feature Chicago in some episodes or as an important place.

Reality TV

• The Real World: Chicago (2002)
• Real World: Skeletons (2014–2015)

Video games

This is a list of video games that take place in Chicago. It does not include sports games or flight simulators, except for Pilotwings 64 and Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.

• 18 Wheels of Steel series
• Atomic Heart
• BattleTanx
• Ben 10: Protector of Earth
• Blues Brothers 2000
• The Bureau: XCOM Declassified
• Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
• Call of Duty Modern Warfare II
• Chicago 90
• Chicago 1930
• Chicago Enforcer
• Chicago Syndicate
• The Crew
• Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
• Cruisin' USA
• The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me
• Deus Ex: Invisible War
• Driver 2
• Emergency Call Ambulance
• Empire of Sin
• Grid 2
• Grid Autosport
• Grid Legends
• Hitman: Absolution
• Lethal Enforcers
• Michael Jordan in Chaos in the Windy City
• Midtown Madness
• Mob Enforcer
• Need for Speed: ProStreet
• Need for Speed: The Run
• Need for Speed Unbound
• Nocturne
• Perfect Dark
• Pilotwings 64
• Project Gotham Racing 2
• Rampage 2: Universal Tour
• Rampage: Total Destruction
• Rampage World Tour
• Resistance 2
• Shadow Hearts: From the New World
• Still Life
• Still Life 2
• Stranglehold
• Stuntman: Ignition
• Tekken
• TimeSplitters 2
• Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
• Wanted: Weapons of Fate
• Watch Dogs
• We Are Chicago
• Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

List of games which feature a fictional city closely based on Chicago

Many video games use a city that looks a lot like Chicago. For example, in Batman: Arkham, the city of Gotham is designed to look very similar to Chicago, with famous buildings like Tribune Tower appearing. This same city also appears in the Injustice series.

Other games like Mafia use a city called Lost Heaven, which is based on 1930s Chicago and is confirmed to be in Illinois in Mafia: Definitive Edition. Mortal Kombat features a level called "street" that is set in Chicago. Ratchet & Clank has a city named Aleero City with skyscrapers inspired by Chicago's famous buildings. And in Halo 2, there is a multiplayer map called Foundation that looks like Chicago.

Comics, manga, and cartoons

Many fun stories and shows take place in Chicago! For example, Bojack Horseman has a whole season set there. There are also comic books like Biker Mice from Mars, Blue Beetle, and Luke Cage, as well as other cool series such as Tintin in America.

Some special episodes or one-time stories happen in Chicago too. Shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Ben 10, and Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? have episodes set there. There’s even an exciting upcoming story called Godzilla: Chicago where Toho’s Godzilla will visit the city!