Dungeon Crawler Carl

Did you like this story? Then you should read Catacomb, the 1985 short story by Henry Melton. I don't know Dungeon Crawler Carl was directly influenced by it but it sure is thematically similar. Also some mix of The Martian (as a two-fisted boy's adventure tale) and The Hunger Games. I guess a lot of people will think of Ready Player One reading this too but eh, that book was not so good.

I found this entirely entertaining. And entirely forgettable. I'd prefer stories like this to elevate, to reflect more on the human condition. The first Hunger Games novel did a fantastic job of that, giving us insights into Katniss' struggle and her humanity. Here Carl's just a dopey guy getting through the dungeon with the occasional nod to niceness so he doesn't seem entirely like a monster. Oddly it's the cat who is the more believable and nuanced character.

Glad I read it, it was entertaining. Not sure I"ll bother with the other 7 (!!) unless I'm stuck in a hospital or something.