Where to Start with Matt Dinniman
Matt Dinniman is a writer and artist from Gig Harbor, Washington, whose Dungeon Crawler Carl series has sold over six million copies and reshaped what LitRPG can be. He started publishing the series on Royal Road in 2020, self-published on Amazon, and was later acquired by Penguin Random House’s Ace Books imprint. His writing combines darkly absurd humor with genuine emotional depth, creating a survival story that works as both satire and page-turning adventure. A television adaptation is in development.
Start here
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Matt Dinniman · 466 pages · 2020 · Easy
Themes: survival, dark humor, game mechanics, reality TV, companionship
Aliens destroy every structure on Earth and turn the planet into a multi-level dungeon for an intergalactic reality show. Carl, caught outside in his bathrobe, and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, must crawl through increasingly deadly floors to survive. The series that made Dinniman a household name in LitRPG.
Why Start Here
Dungeon Crawler Carl is the only entry point you need. It is Dinniman’s breakout work and the series that defines his voice: blackly funny, structurally inventive, and far more emotionally intelligent than its absurd premise suggests. Carl’s relationship with Princess Donut (a cat who gains sapience and a devastating sense of self-importance) is the beating heart of the series.
The book works because it treats its game mechanics as worldbuilding rather than spreadsheets. The dungeon’s systems are designed for entertainment, which means they reward spectacle and drama. This gives Dinniman permission to be creative in ways that pure survival stories cannot, while the underlying horror of the premise keeps the stakes real.
What to Expect
A fast-paced adventure with game mechanics, dark comedy, and escalating stakes. Stat screens and level-ups are integrated into the narrative. The humor is constant but never undercuts the emotional moments. Each book ends on a hook that makes the next one irresistible.