Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. (WTTW News)

Last month, Lake Michigan was about 3 inches higher than the previous January record in 1987, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. How the record-setting levels can affect Chicagoans.

What will the world look like in 20 years if climate change goes unchecked? That’s the premise of “2040 A.D.,” a new collection of short stories that fall under an emerging literary genre known as climate fiction.