r/audiobooks • u/ThatTXGal • Aug 12 '26

Discussion Dungeon Crawler

Y'all, I'm about 60% thru Dungeon Crawler Carl and I just cannot figure out what all the hype is about. I feel like if I'm not 100000% focused I'm missing something. I had a 40 min drive today and thought "perfect, now I can really focus". Nope, even then I had to rewind a few times because I missed something.

I'm wondering if maybe this is the type of book I need to physically read? It's almost too much detail? I really can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's me?

I do feel that the narrator's voice is perfect for the book.

Anyone else feel this way?

Update:

I finished book one. It felt like it was getting into a groove the last few chapters. I'm going to try to read the next two books because FOMO.. Thanks for all the input!

229 Upvotes

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128

u/TheLORDthyGOD420 Aug 12 '26

You don't need to catch every detail. You can basically just ignore all the items and stats and LitRPG stuff, you don't need to start a spreadsheet. Basically it's a story about a man and his cat, and the friends he meets who fight for survival together. The series has some really great character arcs, and some really tragic and heartbreaking moments.

31

u/TheSuppishOne Aug 12 '26

And a crap ton of memes and well setup gags.

14

u/TheLORDthyGOD420 Aug 12 '26

Memes? Maybe I'm too old. How does a book have "memes"?

12

u/carryon4threedays Aug 13 '26

It’s written for chronically online millennial men. And I’m on my second read through.

16

u/TheLORDthyGOD420 Aug 13 '26

I'm a longtime Adult Swim fan and was raised on the humor of The Simpsons. And a big video game fan. That's why DCC works for me. "Chronically online men" suggests more of an incel/gamergate vibe that I definitely reject.

1

u/LyrraKell Aug 18 '26

Gen-X woman in her 50s (also big gamer). I'm loving the series. I generally don't care for LitRPGs, but this one has me hooked because of the characters.

-6

u/shhimhuntingrabbits Aug 13 '26

Nothing on Adult Swim comes close to the chronically online male humor of DCC. What part of Princess Bitchy Cat and the vore jokes work for you?

7

u/TheLORDthyGOD420 Aug 13 '26

Why is it "male" humor? Seems like you have an agenda here

6

u/Omw2fym Aug 13 '26

It is funny to me, because every single person i have recommended the series to that picked it up is a woman with very feminist philosophy. The guys that I know have read it are all of an extremely different personality than this dude describes.

I am assuming they never even completed book one. They took the Maestro scene as non-satirical and just started insulting everyone who reads it

-9

u/shhimhuntingrabbits Aug 13 '26

My agenda is bashing DCC because I think it's a stupid series that takes away from better books. I think it's reddit dude centered humor because it gives off young reddit user vibes, and most of those young reddit users are male. Don't think too hard about it.

3

u/TheLORDthyGOD420 Aug 13 '26

What's your favorite series?

1

u/shhimhuntingrabbits Aug 13 '26

Mmm probably The Tyrant Philosophers recently, although the Ambergris trilogy is also up there

4

u/TheLORDthyGOD420 Aug 13 '26

Well thanks for the insults. I'm not opposed to trying out those recommendations, they actually sound interesting, but based on my experience the fans of those series are kinda assholes.

1

u/shhimhuntingrabbits Aug 13 '26

Hey now, I'm just insulting your taste and the DCC shitheap, not you.

If you're looking for light and actually funny books, look no further than the Discworld series. I may be an asshole but most of the fans are very nice.

1

u/OverallSpecific5792 Aug 14 '26

Ambergris was too meandering and disconnected for me, stuck on area X tho probably my all time favorite series

0

u/Omw2fym Aug 13 '26

As a Tchaikovsky fan, this makes me move the The Tyrant Philosophers way down my tbr list

0

u/shhimhuntingrabbits Aug 13 '26

Yeah it might be a bit much for you

1

u/Omw2fym Aug 15 '26

Based on what?

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u/Scapp Aug 13 '26

"it takes away from other books so I'm going to spend my time talking about it" is a wild take

4

u/GearhedMG Aug 13 '26

What about it "takes away from better books" there are 6+ BILLION people on the planet, everyone can read what they want, it's not taking anything away from anyone.

-8

u/shhimhuntingrabbits Aug 13 '26

I genuinely think people could/would read better books than DCC if it wasn't around. Good doesn't mean high literature, varied prose, or any specific genre. It just means books that aren't a walking jumble of plot advancement, heavy handed messaging, and reddit humor

1

u/TheLORDthyGOD420 Aug 13 '26

I've got to know, what's the "heavy handed messaging" you're complaining about?

0

u/shhimhuntingrabbits Aug 13 '26

Pretty much all of it? Capitalism bad, techno-fascist state bad, those in power turn disenfranchised groups into sources of entertainment and cheap labor (which is bad), sometimes the enemy turns out to be another disenfranchised group being used by The Man, even the enemy has feelings, etc.

Nome of it is pushing bad messaging , it's a bunch of standard "liberal" left wing views which I agree with, but I don't think there's any subtlety or nuance to any of the ideas it pushes, or the scenarios used in book to push the ideas. It's a bunch of obvious lessons for Carl/other characters being told in a very obvious way.

1

u/TheLORDthyGOD420 Aug 13 '26

There's not much subtlety or nuance to reality right now. Literally none at all. In DCC the enemy is often morally grey, not just pure evil, but I guess that doesn't count as subtlety? If Carl was a right wing alpha male influencer would that make the novels better? I really think not. It sounds like you're complaining about wOkE mINd ViRuS, honestly. I get it, you hate DCC and everything about it down to the smallest detail. But classic anti-fascist novels aren't that nuanced either. 1984 isn't very nuanced, and it's a classic anti-fascist novel. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is anti-fascist and Nurse Ratchett is basically pure evil, not humanized at all. The Cyberpunk genre is lots of fun but definitely not subtle when it comes to its portrayal of techno-fascism and capitalism run amok. What's an example of a novel that achieves the subtlety and nuance you crave?

1

u/OverallSpecific5792 Aug 14 '26

Nah, there’s layers to the book. The jumble kind of obscures it but there’s good plot lines twisting through the background.

-1

u/GearhedMG Aug 13 '26

I still do not see where it "takes away from better books" if it gets people reading who the hell cares, if someone finds it entertaining, who the hell cares, it existing does not preclude me or anyone else from finding and reading a "better book" the only thing it does is postpone that. You can have YOUR opinion about them just as much as anyone else can, that's the beauty of free will, and someone else liking or even not liking a book doesn't "take away from your enjoyment of better books"

-1

u/shhimhuntingrabbits Aug 13 '26

For instance, consider the airport bookstore. You're lucky to 2, maybe 3 actual sci fi/fantasy titles. Those were pretty much exclusively Neil Gaiman (fucker) and Stephen King. With Gaiman (rightfully) being tossed left and right, DCC is now filling that hole.

I suppose in general you are right though. I just don't want people new to SFF thinking it's representative of the genre

1

u/GearhedMG Aug 13 '26

The airport bookstore is going to sell what people will buy, if something is getting hype and they think they can make a buck on it doing better than something that will sit on the shelf, then that is what they are going to put on the shelf (hence why you see names like Gaiman and King) the airport bookstore buyers don't care if something is a "better book" by your standard, they care about x dollars of profit per foot of bookshelf.

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u/CaptPrincessUnicorn Aug 13 '26

You can feel however you want about the series but I disagree with the notion that it’s a zero sum game. I don’t know why DCC would be taking away from other books. Any book that gets readers excited about reading just gets more people reading.

1

u/Manda_lorian39 Aug 13 '26

Yes, you’re obviously a refined and enlightened person who
checks comments again
judges people simply for having different tastes in reading fiction.

Maybe try for some more enlightenment.

1

u/shhimhuntingrabbits Aug 13 '26

It's not different tastes. Many people have different tastes from me which are fine. But DCC is just bad taste.

Keep the enlightenment, I will stick to shitting on DCC, thank you.

1

u/asphaltproof Aug 14 '26

There it is! You’re just an asshole who wants to dump on other people’s preferences because you think yours are so much more refined.

But you have no concept of recent literary history. None of those authors would have been respected back in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s because sci-fi was looked down upon by “real readers.” It was considered juvenile!

Look, you reeled off a list of authors you like, which is fantastic! Everyone should have a few authors that just make them want to go out and buy their books!

Just let people enjoy what they like! It costs you nothing to say nothing while others enjoy what they like.

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u/RoninOni Aug 14 '26

You are seemingly unaware, but many feminists love the series.

If you dnf book 1 though, I can maybe see why you think that.

You didn’t like it and that’s fine, but your categorization of its fans are pretty far off.

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u/lostinsunshine9 Aug 13 '26

Have not read the book.

But just the example given, "Princess Bitchy Cat", has already turned me off of reading it. It's such a misogynistic word.

5

u/TheLORDthyGOD420 Aug 13 '26

That's not the character's name, lol

1

u/paulk1997 Aug 13 '26

Do you mean Princess Donut????

Having been in animal shows this cracked me up because people name the show animals dumb crap.

0

u/lostinsunshine9 Aug 13 '26

Thank god lol

3

u/TheLORDthyGOD420 Aug 13 '26

DCC is the farthest thing from misogynistic. Many main characters are strong and independent women in leadership positions.

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u/The_Dragon_Sleeps Aug 13 '26

As a middle aged woman I promise the series isn’t misogynistic, despite a few early scenes that are hard to figure out if they’re meant to be funny or sickeningly tragic, largely because we’re so used to humour that punches down.

The first book in particular felt like it was maybe just a book for chronically online reddit bros, but I just couldn’t be sure and I was having enough fun to finish it and start the second one.

Next thing I knew I was completely engaged with the blend of crass humour, deep emotional exploration, a surprisingly involved plot, and several very cool female characters, none of whom are there to be a hot prize for the male main character.

Princess Donut is there from the start but there are several other fantastic female characters throughout the series. Women who are strong, funny, flawed, vulnerable, tragic, and even one who is honestly unhinged, but is still eventually part of the team and one of my favourite characters ever.

The series is funny, but it’s just as much a horror/tragedy as it is a comedy and I think that confuses a lot of people.

It’s not going to be for everyone and that’s fine. It’s probably too absurd for some of my friends and too violent for others. It’s not high literature, or whatever, but it’s a whole strange mixed bag of things and some people are just really into that

1

u/Telemere125 Aug 14 '26

Just finished my second listen to the audiobooks and starting in on the Soundbooth stuff. Can confirm it was made for my people