Details
- Book Title: Dungeon Crawler Carl (Book 1)
- Author: Matt Dinniman
- Publication Date: October 2, 2020
Description
“Dungeon Crawler Carl” is Matt Dinniman’s wildly inventive, genre-bending smash—equal parts apocalyptic sci-fi, LitRPG adventure, and razor-sharp satire. You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And what’s worse than that? Aliens leveling every man-made structure on Earth and turning the survivors into contestants on a sadistic intergalactic game show. Coast Guard veteran Carl—caught outside in nothing but boxers and a tank top—and Princess Donut, his ex’s pampered feline, are plunged into a deadly, trap-filled dungeon broadcast to countless viewers across the galaxy. To survive, they’ll have to descend level by lethal level, leveling up as they go. It’s hilarious, brutal, surprisingly emotional, and impossible to stop reading.
Author Bio
Matt Dinniman is a writer and artist from Gig Harbor, Washington, and the author of the New York Times bestselling Dungeon Crawler Carl series, along with several other novels about the end of the world. What began as a self-published phenomenon has grown into one of the most beloved series in modern science fiction and LitRPG, praised for its humor, heart, and biting social commentary.
What Readers Are Saying
- It turns non-readers into fans: “Absolutely addictive—my first ‘couldn’t put it down’ book! I’ve never been much of a reader,” wrote one five-star Amazon reviewer.
- The comedy lands. “It was Hitchhiker’s Guide level funny. Fast-paced, deep,” said another, while a different reader noted it “reads a little like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy… hilarious.”
- It wins over skeptics: “My wife, who is not a D&D nerd like me, loved this book and recommended it to me. I also loved it, and we’re both continuing the series,” wrote one reviewer.
- Genre fans crown it: “The main representative of the new LitRPG genre, and well deserved—combining social commentary with a dark sense of humor,” said another five-star reader.
- With an average rating of 4.7 stars across more than 82,000 Amazon ratings, “Dungeon Crawler Carl” has earned a fiercely devoted following.
Why We Think It Should Be Your Next Book
If you think you don’t like LitRPG—or you’ve never tried it—”Dungeon Crawler Carl” is the book that will change your mind. Matt Dinniman blends laugh-out-loud comedy, genuinely high stakes, and a shockingly tender heart (much of it courtesy of one diva cat) into a story that’s as thoughtful about spectacle and exploitation as it is fun. It’s the rare series readers describe as life-ruining in the best way, because once you start you won’t want to do anything else. For anyone craving something original, funny, and addictive, this belongs at the top of your next reading list.
Sources: Amazon product page and customer reviews for “Dungeon Crawler Carl” by Matt Dinniman.