I had heard about Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman from a daughter with a middle school boy sense of humor, but then also had it recommended by Jeremy Cotter- a friend and fellow Star Trek fan. It pushed me to find it. I reserved one on Libby, I was number 212 on the list, and they offered me a lucky copy to listen to, the catch being I could only have it for seven days. It was 13 hours and 31 minutes. I can listen to books at 2x, which means it would take around six hours and 45 minutes. Maybe. I'm not great at base six math. Mission accomplished!
Dungeon Crawler Carl is an apocalypse scenario that begins with most of the world's population dying as everything with a roof is pulled underground for its matter to be redistributed into a multi-level dungeon. Carl and his ex-girlfriend's prize-winning Persian, Princess Donut, enter the dungeon and become players in a first-person shooter game. To survive, they must level up their skills, collect loot, and charm the universe of beings who are watching. Fortunately, Carl has a cat on his team.
Even though the story is low fantasy and, at times, ribald in its humor, the characters feel genuine as they wrestle with who to help survive and what lengths to go to survive. The writing is dark and funny. It is reminiscent of Hunger Games if it were a comedy. The dungeon has 18 levels. Book one covers set-up, level one, and level two, so it ends on a cliffhanger.
In book two, Carl's Doomsday Scenario, only one level is covered. I think that's how it will go. Dinniman keeps the momentum going, as does character development. Because the cat is newly sentient, she is childlike in her thoughts and approaches; however, it's not creepy that she's a successful player because she's a cat. I sense a lot of planning and thoughts have gone into these books. There is the driving core story of Carl and Donut trying to survive and other multiple stories being excavated over the series' arc. I found an interview with Matt Dinniman, the author, who predicts the series might have ten books. Book seven is coming out soon. I almost regret starting a series that isn't entirely out because I don't like to fight for copies or wait for the next book. Life is sometimes difficult, but I persevere.
Here is a link to the interview I referenced: https://beforewegoblog.com/interview-matt-dinniman-author-of-dungeon-crawler-carl/
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I want to be a person who also reads nonfiction--well-rounded and erudite--however without a strong story, I fall asleep. Also, there is the sheer horror of events happening to actual people, not fictional characters. I saw The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann on several lists as one of the best nonfiction books of 2023, with this comment: it reads like a novel, so I gave it a try. I wanted to give up almost immediately. Terrible things happen. TERRIBLE. Grann says upfront that what actually happened can't be determined because the surviving accounts conflict. What? I like novels that wrap it neatly without loose ends.
I persevered. The tale is riveting, and David Grann masterfully fleshes out the 1742 journey of the Wager and its crew. I recommend it, especially if you like nonfiction, historical, or nautical.
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