Want to read a videogame, try Dungeon Crawler Carl
I have had a few books in my life that have jumped out at me like they were written with the sole purpose of my eyes. Harry Potter and Dune jumped out as popular titles that I loved the first time; I’m sure a lot of you can agree. Some not-as-popular titles that have been big hits for me are The Hyperion Cantos and The Mote in God’s Eye; both are spectacular science fiction and deserving of your time. All of those pale in comparison to Dungeon Crawler Carl.
These books feel like they were written for me. From Goodreads, “A man. His ex-girlfriend's cat. A sadistic game show unlike anything in the universe: a dungeon crawl where survival depends on killing your prey in the most entertaining way possible.” That simple premise does this book a disservice, but talking any more about it could spoil all the fun you are about to have. It’s as mix of being trapped in a real-life Dungeons and Dragons campaign, being narrated by a sadistic, toe-fetish-driven Artificial Intelligence.
The book belongs to a genre called LiteraryRPG, or litRPG, a term I had heard of before but knew nothing about. Simply put it combines the conventions of computer role-playing games (RPGs) with science fiction and fantasy novels. A video game book if you will. That’s why I’m talking about it here on Gaming Nexus. Also, I’m attempting to convert as many people to this series as I can.
Dungeon Crawler Carl currently has six books, the seventh is due out by the end of this year. I listened to the first one in July and fell in hard, head first. Not only is this series hilarious, but it is very emotional as well. By the end of the second novel, I came close to crying because of how moved I was by these characters. By the fifth book, I had broken down because of some events that transpired.
It is beyond gripping and impossible to put down. I listen to the novels on Audible, and I think you should too. Not only is this a well-written and witty series, but the narrator, Jeff Hays, couldn’t have done a more perfect job with it. Not only is this the best series of books I have ever read this is also by far the best-narrated series I have ever listened to. The voices are fantastic and have ruined me on going back to other audiobooks.
I have two great reasons why you should jump on this series now. First, a new hardback edition of the first novel has just released this week. Bonus first reason, it includes a new short story. Second, the rights to this series have just been purchased, soon to become a film or, hopefully, a series.
I enjoyed these books so much that after the first one, I convinced two of my coworkers and my wife to jump on them; all three of them have fallen in love with it, too, and if you enjoy this site, I think you will. These feel like they were written for someone like myself. A guy who loves video games and great storytelling. The only problem now is that I have read all the books, scoured the Dungeon Crawler Carl subreddit, and am anxiously awaiting the next installment. Won’t you join me?
