List of fiction set in Chicago


This is a list of fiction set in or near the city of Chicago.

Short stories

Chicago Invaded by Hordes of Prehistoric Monsters Dealing Death and Destruction, an anonymous 9000 word short story published by the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers as an April Fools prank in 1906.

Plays and musicals

Films

Although not set in the city's limits, the John Hughes directed films Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, and Weird Science take place in the fictional town of Shermer, Illinois, which is based on Northbrook, Illinois. A scene of Weird Science was filmed at Northbrook Court mall.
In The Matrix, the subway sets were based on the CTA. One of the trains is clearly a Brown Line train, which in reality, barring construction, never goes underground.

Chicago destroyed on film

In Old Chicago - destroyed by the Great Chicago FireBeginning of the End - city attacked by giant mutant grasshoppersIndependence Day - mentionedChain Reaction - parts of the city destroyed by an explosion caused by a hydrogen reactorCategory 6: Day of Destruction - destroyed by a series of tornadoes and a category 6 hurricane over the Great LakesTransformers: Dark of the Moon - seriously damaged by the Decepticons' assault on the city as well as the final battle between the Autobots and Decepticons Transformers: Age of Extinction - the city was rebuilt five years later, where it was used for KSI first

Music videos

Television shows

Reality TV

Video games

This is a list of video games in which a major part of the action takes place in the city. This list does not count sports games or flight simulators, save for Pilotwings 64 and Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.

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

  • In Batman: Arkham, as a fictionalized Gotham City in which is almost identical to Chicago: for example some of the buildings like Tribune Tower can be seen within the Arkham franchise. The city also serves as Gotham within the Injustice series as well.
  • In Mafia, 1930s Chicago serves as inspiration for the setting of Lost Heaven. In Mafia: Definitive Edition, it is confirmed that Lost Heaven is in Illinois.
  • In Mortal Kombat, Chicago plays a dynamic level known as "street" in which the level appears most of the MK series.
  • In Ratchet & Clank, in this fictional utopian city of Aleero City, some of the buildings have a huge representation of Chicago's magnificent skyscrapers bundled up together.
  • In Halo, Chicago in Halo 2 is the multiplayer map known as Foundation.

Comics, manga, and cartoons

Miniseries, specials or individual episodes

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.