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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/51348308
From The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman
When the talking cat with laser eyes and a superiority complex is the least weird thing about the story.
this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2026
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I actually bookmarked this in the audiobook to play for my friends, but you cut off the next sentence which is the best part!
Louie seems cool though.
I'd just reached into the head of a rock monster's head to remove a parasitic worm.
Was the monster's name RFK?
I admire Dinniman so much for being able to hold this clusterfuck together. Going back and rereading the first one to see all of the shit he's been keeping track of... It's a true feat.
I was reading about the author and he has a few series before Dungeon Crawler Carl. So for the past 15 years, he's been writing wild stories like this. He just happened to strike gold.
He also releases chapters on his Patreon and super fans provide feedback.
Yeah, I've been following for a long time. He started on Royal Road, which is a great site for up coming authors if you ever want to peruse.
There’s definitely a room in his house that is just a complete web of red yarn.
It was a wild floor.
You could even say it was... feral.
I'm halfway through the first book now, so I'm staying far away from comments here. But read an opinion somewhere on Lemmy a week ago that said it is the book version of The Big Bang Theory, making me a bit worried it is just initially well hidden crap, but I am giving it the benefit of the doubt and keeping on reading. Loving it so far! My only annoyance so far is Liberian measurements over earth standard, but it's a minor one.
That was a stupid comparison. That OP didn't watch Big Bang Theory in the first place to know that it appealed to a completely different sort of person than DCC.
If anything, DCC is like Ready Player One if it was not written by a complete and utter cringelord neckbeard in love with 80s media, and actually had some real things to say about sociopolitics.
I've read or listened to DCC multiple times now. I think it's probably the opposite of how you described TBBT, on the surface DCC is crude and absurd, but underneath is a gem.
I am loving it so far, and answers here gives me hope, as I have only ever read that one comment that hasn't been praise.
I never liked Big Bang Theory and only saw a handful of episodes. I love Dungeon Crawler Carl though.I don't know if that means anything or not.
Loving DCC so far, so that is promising. Thank you.
binged the audiobooks over a couple months and holy shit it was a fun ride, do recommend
The audiobook is nuts! The voice actor really sells the whole story. I really don't know if Dungeon Crawler Carl would be so good if it wasn't for the voice actor.
Jeff Hays is the GOAT of audiobook narration!
Definitely going to echo this. I’ve listened to a lot of audiobooks and Jeff Hayes is unparalleled
Completely agree!
Such a good series!
This paragraph and ones like it are exactly why I love the series. I don't think the moment to moment writing is particularly funny etc but sometimes you sit back and take stock of the absurd situations and cannot help but laugh.
It wasn't written with the intention of being a comedy, it just happened exactly the way you described. The characters and situations created the comedy.
It's so bad, he'll describe a situation or how something looks and you still have no idea what's going on or what it looks like. These books desperately need editors and proofreaders. Professional ones.
There have been VERY few scenes I haven't been able to picture in my head so far. I'm still on the 6th floor though, so I guess it could get worse.
Are you mad because the books don't come with a map? I understand that is a thing that incenses... interesting people.
Eh, I like it when a book is different and follows what the author wants it to be. Editing is useful, but a good editor won't change more than absolutely necessary. Bad editors make everything the same.
A good editor makes sure words mean what they're supposed to mean. Like, when something is "similar" it's not "identical."
I swear I thought I'd had a stroke during some paragraphs.
I just finished 'Feral Gods.'
I think it's kinda the point. Carl is just going 156 mph giving a stream of consciousness POV. The author is completely fine with long explanations of politics and company policy, the tears into an action scene.
mho
That's why I like the series.
I'm not looking for quality writing. This is the Die Hard 4: Die another day of stories. I'm on the edge of my seat. Every few chapters, I just sit back and go, "What the fuck." And then keep reading.
If this is how Fifty Shades of Grey was for women... Well tie me the fuck up because I'm already on this wild ride.
Fifty Shades of Grey was better, and that was BAD. The writer seems to own a dictionary.
It's already bad enough you keep saying these DCC books misuse words without providing any examples but now saying 50 Shades of Grey was better written because it used words properly?
Nah, something stinks here.
It's not the best writing but it sure is a fun story. I haven't caught any major plot holes and I'm tempted to say beautiful prose would actually make it worse lol
But yeah, I do agree he really could have used an editor for the first few books especially. I never found it TOO bothersome but I did notice it. Like at some point while writing, he must have learned the word "mollified" because it starts appearing everywhere. The only time it made me pause was really silly and inconsequential -
Tap for spoiler
Someone, I think a sponsor, makes a pill that they say will ONLY on humans. Carl had already become a Primal at that point!
Not sure I agree with your specific criticism, though. I have aphantasia (no "theater if the mind," wah wuh) and aside from the train book, I never had any issues understanding the landscape or scene.
It's still enjoyable so I still recommend it. I don't think you have to be a great writer to tell a great story!
My biggest complaint about his writing is (spoilers...)
Tap for spoiler
In the last book or two, Carl knows a LOT that we don't. I'm fine with not knowing what his plan is with the Doomsday Scenario because that's just one thing but now there's so much that happened "off screen" and we only find out about it when he reveals it to an antagonist.
When that happens, I do believe Matt Dinniman actually planned for it....but it FEELS like deus ex machina. I want to use clues he laid out to predict what's going to happen (even if I'm wrong), not get blindsided.
Plot holes are what really kills a story for me and I haven't caught any.
I'm not after beautiful prose, I want him to use the correct words! And to be accurate or at least comprehensible. I want to see a picture when a writer describes something. I don't want to read an entire page and see nothing in my head whatsoever.
Maybe Matt Dinniman has aphantasia, too, which is why the minimal descriptions work fine for me and less so for you.
Made me go lookup the next line. It really is a great book:
And yet, despite all of this, what Juice Box had just said was the most astounding thing I’d heard since this floor started. I looked at her like she had slugs crawling from her nostrils. “Louis?” I asked. “Our Louis? You’re in love with Louis? You’re getting married? Are you serious?”
The scowl she gave told me she was deadly serious.
...
“Louis?” Donut said. “Carl, the whole world has gone insane.”
Negative 10 points because you quoted Donut without using all caps.
Thats only when she types, she was speaking there.
Its been so long since I read that line, I could have sworn she messaged in chat. But it would be like her to just blurt it out.
You could be right, I just assumed based on the context of what they wrote. I listened to the audio book so I'm not sure either.