Upcoming Show Based On A Bestselling Book Series Will Change Sci-Fi TV Forever

Peacock is bringing a bestselling book series to the screen, and it could change sci-fi TV forever. Like every genre, science fiction grows and changes over time, molding itself to the needs of modern audiences. Stories tap into societal fears and social issues, which can change as technology advances and society shifts.

What’s more, larger pop culture shapes the way sci-fi is told. Recently, prestige TV has become the go-to. This style focuses on telling stories that are intellectually stimulating, character-driven, and focus on big themes and human emotions.

These changes in themes and styles are especially visible in franchises that have lasted for many decades. The original Star Wars is different from the later Star Wars movies, which are different from the cartoons, which are different from The Mandalorian and Andor. Similarly, Doctor Who constantly reinvents itself with every regeneration, and Star Trek has taken on many forms.

However, prestige sci-fi may not be permanent. The TV adaptation of Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl could not only start a sci-fi streaming war, but it also has the potential to usher in a new era in sci-fi TV that focuses less on human emotions during bleak events and more on absurdist comedy.

Dungeon Crawler Carl Mixes Absurdism, Sci-Fi, & Fantasy

There is no doubt that Dungeon Crawler Carl blends together sci-fi and fantasy. On a micro-level, Carl and Princess Donut are running through dungeons and coming up against mobs of fantastical creatures that feel like they could come from a homebrewed D&D campaign. On a macro-level, they are only in this situation because aliens invaded and forced them to participate in a murderous game show.

This isn’t all that uncommon, though. There is a reason why the subgenre “science fantasy” exists. What sets it apart from other stories is that it also leans into absurdism, which isn’t super common in sci-fi.

In philosophical terms, absurdity is the conflict between the universe’s cold meaninglessness and humanity’s search for meaning. The solution that absurdism provides is to acknowledge the absurdity but to rebel by living fully in defiance and joy. In very cliche terms, I’d describe it as the aphorism: “It’s about the journey, not the destination.”

As someone who lives by absurdism and nihilistic optimism, I think Dungeon Crawler Carl is delightfully absurdist. Humans are forced to play a game they can never truly win and in which they can never change the system. There is no meaning to their fight through the dungeon.

However, they rebel against the meaninglessness. Carl saying, “You will not break me,” perfectly displays the defiance. It gives him purpose in a cold and cruel environment. What’s more, Carl and Princess Donut find joy in the connections they make along the way. Many of the dungeon dwellers hold onto their humanity and empathy, even though they know they’re doomed.

What’s more, the book is packed with absurdist humor, such as Dungeon Crawler Carl’s meth llamas. In this case, we have all-powerful aliens and AIs who could create virtually anything they want, and they create something as dumb as lava-spitting llamas that deal meth.

Is it plausible? Sure. Is it irrational? Absolutely. The joy of absurdist humor is that it rides that line. It leans into the juxtopositions and the nonsensical nature of the world, embracing the chaos. Luckily, Dungeon Crawler Carl heavily features absurdist humor.

Dungeon Crawler Carl Could Bring A Wave Of Absurdist Sci-Fi To The TV Screen

As a lover of absurdist sci-fi, I’ve found that it’s pretty uncommon onscreen. Many of the weird sci-fi movies and TV shows are surrealist rather than absurdist. It’s also much more common to find nihilistic sci-fi or sci-fi that embraces the idea that life and the universe have meaning. The absurdist sci-fi media that does exist, like Everything Everywhere All At Once, are usually movies.

However, Dungeon Crawler Carl’s success could change that. Some of the best absurdist sci-fi books need TV shows. One of the best in the genre, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, desperately deserves a proper adaptation after the failure of the 2005 sci-fi movie.

Plus, there are plenty of screenwriters out there who are offering new stories to Hollywood. This is just an educated guess, but chances are at least some of them are absurdist sci-fi. Sci-fi has become significantly more mainstream, and absurdist humor is extremely popular among millennials and Gen Z. Hopefully, Dungeon Crawler Carl will spark a lasting onscreen absurdist sci-fi revolution.