5 Sci-Fi Books To Read After ‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’

Dungeon Crawler Carl has taken the world by storm. Matt Dinniman‘s science fiction novel, in addition to topping best-seller charts and spawning a fleet of sequels, is also set to get its own television adaptation on Peacock with Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, The Orville) producing and Christopher Yost (X-Men: Evolution, Thor: Ragnarok) as showrunner. A graphic novel adaptation of Dungeon Crawler Carl is also taking off, with the preview edition quickly flying off shelves during this year’s Free Comic Book Day. In short, Dungeon Crawler Carl is one of those rare novels that has become a pop culture phenomenon, rivaling other books like Harry Potter or Game of Thrones.

What exactly makes Dungeon Crawler Carl such a must-read book? Part of it lies in the premise, which is equal parts ridiculous and amazing: Carl, a former member of the United States Coast Guard, and his ex-girlfriend’s cat Princess Donut are forced to participate in an intergalactic reality show called Dungeon Crawler World, which terraforms the Earth into a massive dungeon similar to those found in video games or tabletop role-playing games. This makes it one of the more successful forms of “litRPG”, or novels that adopt role-playing game mechanics into their narrative. Another element that draws readers is Matt Dinniman’s mix of absurd humor and sharp political observations, which makes Dungeon Crawler Carl a unique read. However, there are five science fiction novels that feature similar themes and are definitely worth reading if you love the Dungeon Crawler Carl saga.

‘Redshirts’ by John Scalzi

Image via Tor Books

Anyone who’s watched a Star Trek show can tell you that the color red is a death sentence in Starfleet, as most of the “red shirts” in the security division usually die horrible deaths. John Scalzi decided to put his own satirical spin on this concept with Redshirts, which centers on the starship Intrepid and its missions for the Universal Union. One of the Intrepid‘s crew members, Andrew Dahl, begins to notice that most of his fellow officers suffer gruesome fates whenever they go on missions with senior officers; he eventually stumbles upon a conspiracy that breaches the walls of reality.

While Redshirts isn’t the first piece of media to parody Star Trek, it stands out for its clever use of metafiction and its razor sharp humor​​​​​. Nothing is off limits when it comes to spoofing Trek, whether it’s the seemingly endless parade of alien horrors the Intrepid encounters or how the redshirts’s deaths are meant to ramp up drama in the narrative. If you love the humor that fuels Dungeon Crawler Carl, or want a similar story in the vein of The Orville or Galaxy Quest, this book should be on your radar.

‘Armada’ by Ernest Cline

Image via Crown Publishing Group

Dungeon Crawler Carl is one of the few “litRPG” books that actually uses roleplaying mechanics to fuel the plot, rather than turning Carl into a thinly veiled power fantasy for reader and author alike. If fans want another novel that utilizes video game tropes in a unique way, they should check out Ernest Cline’s Armada. Teenager Zack Lightman has become extremely skilled at playing the video game Armada, but when he sees one of the game’s ships floating outside his high school, he eventually learns that the game’s events are real — and that the alien invaders he’s been fighting are hellbent on subjugating Earth!

When Armada released in 2015, it was met with mixed reviews as most people felt it paled in comparison to Cline’s debut novel, Ready Player One. The pop culture references that fueled Ready Player One’s plot made some reviewers wish they were checking out those works instead, but Armada is actually a solid read. Its story is essentially a modern-day update of The Last Starfighter, and the emotional core of Zack discovering the mystery behind his father’s supposed death will keep readers hooked, as will another major revelation surrounding the invasion.

‘The Girl Who Could Move S*** With Her Mind’ by Jackson Ford

Image via Orbit Books

Another novel that features the same irreverent humor and high-concept science fiction that make Dungeon Crawler Carl such a hit is The Girl Who Could Move S*** With Her Mind. If the title wasn’t enough of an indication, the story focuses on goverment operative Teagan Frost, who uses her telekinetic abilities to pull off black ops missions. One of these missions goes horribly wrong when someone frames Teagan for murder, forcing her to go on the run. With its realistic look on superpowers and a flawed, yet entertaining protagonist, The Girl Who Could Move S*** With Her Mind reads like a realistic approach to the world of the X-Men.

Like Dungeon Crawler Carl, The Girl Who Could Move S*** With Her Mind also became popular enough to launch an ongoing series. Author Jackson Ford has written four books in the “Frost Files” to date, each of them carrying an equally raunchy title like Random S*** Flying Through the Air, Eye of the S*** Storm, and A S***load of Crazy Powers. Whether you’re looking for a unique twist on the idea of superpowers, a book with plenty of well-crafted if inappropriate humor, or just a good sci-fi read, then the Frost Files are more than worth cracking open.

‘Operation Bounce House’ by Matt Dinniman

Image via Ace Books

With two more books left in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, fans have been wondering what Matt Dinniman’s next move will be. Those fans got a glimpse of his next potential sci-fi saga with Operation Bounce House, which debuted in May. Operation Bounce House is set in the far future, where most of mankind has left Earth to inhabit interstellar colonies. One of these colonists is Oliver Lewis, who’s been taking care of his grandparents’ farm using a swarm of robotic honeybees. His life is upended when a group of Earth inhabitants, piloting giant mech suits, invade his colony as part of a warped reality show, prompting Oliver to take inventive measures to defend his farm.

From the jump, Operation Bounce House has many of the elements that made Dungeon Crawler Carl such a hit. From its unique premise to its biting commentary on the insatiable nature of capitalism and the corrupting effects of fame, Dinniman proves that he still has the skills to write a compelling science fiction story. And while Operation Bounce House is a standalone story, its reception shows that readers will still be following Dinniman’s work long after the Dungeon Crawler Carl series concludes.

‘Gearbreakers’ by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Image via Macmillan Publishers

When Gearbreakers hit shelves five years ago, it immediately captured attention for all the right reasons. Zoe Hana Mikuta‘s debut novel is set in a future where the nation of Godolia rules with a literal iron fist thanks to the massive mecha known as “Windups” that enforces its will. In the “Badlands”, Eris Shindanai and her fellow rebels become known as “Gearbreakers” due to their ability to take down the Windups. Things get complicated when Eris encounters Sona Steelcrest, a Windup pilot who secretly infiltrated Godolia to take it down from the inside. As Eris and Sona work toward their seperate goals, they end up falling for each other.

While Gearbreakers could be described as “The Hunger Games meets Pacific Rim,” it really stands out thanks to the worldbuilding and character development Mikuta brings to the table. Both Eris and Sona feel like well-rounded characters, as their reasons for fighting against Godolia are gradually revealed while their romantic connection flourishes. There’s also plenty of intense mecha battles, which Mikuta managed to top with the sequel Godslayers. Dungeon Crawler Carl might be on top of the world, but Gearbreakers is a novel that deserves just as much attention.

Network

Peacock

Writers

Chris Yost