Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

From Being Bookish by Raye

March 16, 2026 · 46 min · Season 7 · Episode 6

About this episode

This episode explores the LitRPG phenomenon through the lens of Matt Dinniman's 'Dungeon Crawler Carl'.

This week, I'm venturing into the chaotic and sometimes hilarious world of the LitRPG phenomenon that's taken the book world by storm. I'm talking about Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, the first book in a (currently) 7-book series that's grown from a self-published cult favourite into a global bestseller. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then this episode is a great place to start (as until a few months ago I didn't have a clue either). Dungeon Crawler Carl is genre-bending fiction that refuses to be pinned down. It moves from the fast-paced action of a role-playing game into a pitch-black satire of reality TV and corporate greed, all whilst balancing comedy with moments of genuine cosmic horror. It follows Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s prize-winning cat, Princess Donut, as they're forced to compete in a deadly, televised crawl for an alien audience. Whether you're a fan of gaming or just enjoy satirical sci-fi, this is a series you need on your radar. As always, I'll be sharing my personal thoughts as well as looking to other reviews to provide a balanced perspective because we can't all like everything. I'll also be keeping it completely spoiler-free because…

Topics covered

  • LitRPG
  • Dungeon Crawler Carl
  • Matt Dinniman
  • satirical sci-fi
  • gaming
  • cosmic horror

Keywords

  • self-published
  • bestseller
  • role-playing game
  • reality TV
  • corporate greed

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Dungeon Crawler Carl

Books & works: Dungeon Crawler Carl

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