The Short Version
Today’s book is Dungeon Crawler Carl, or rather, the whole series. Here’s the quick answer. There are eight books out so far, you read them in publication order, and a live-action show is on the way. Let’s go through it.
Reading Order
Start with the order, because it matters. Dungeon Crawler Carl is one continuous story, so don’t skip around. Here is the list, with the dates the author first self-published each book.
Book one is Dungeon Crawler Carl, from September twenty twenty. Book two, Carl’s Doomsday Scenario, arrived in January twenty twenty-one. Book three, The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook, came out in March twenty twenty-one, and book four, The Gate of the Feral Gods, in June twenty twenty-one.
Book five is The Butcher’s Masquerade, from February twenty twenty-two. Book six, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride, arrived in twenty twenty-three. Book seven, This Inevitable Ruin, came out in November twenty twenty-four. And book eight, A Parade of Horribles, was released on May twelfth, twenty twenty-six.
One note. Matt Dinniman first posted the story online, then self-published it. In twenty twenty-four, Ace Books, part of Penguin Random House, took over the print editions, which is why you’ll see two sets of dates. He kept the digital rights, and he still publishes the ebooks himself.
Where To Start
The answer is simple: start at the beginning. The first book teaches you the rules, and every later book assumes you know them. The books are long, and the story builds, so a jump-in start would only confuse you.
If you’re on the fence, read the first few chapters. The tone is clear by then: dark comedy, a lot of swearing, gory action, and a surprisingly big heart. If that works for you, you’re in for a long ride. If not, no later book will change your mind.
And if you prefer audiobooks, start there. The narrator, Jeff Hays, voices around two hundred characters, and fans often call his performance a reason to listen. Audible’s numbers back that up: reportedly more than a hundred and forty million hours of listening across the series.
How Big Is It?
This series has become a genuine phenomenon. According to Wikipedia, the first eight books have sold more than fourteen million copies, and the first book alone has sold over two point seven million. It spent nineteen straight weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.
It has also collected awards. The first book was nominated for the twenty twenty-six Arthur C. Clarke Award. And book seven won the Dragon Con award for best science fiction novel in twenty twenty-five. Books-A-Million even named the first book its first Book of the Year.
The Peacock Series
Now the show. As of October twenty twenty-six, here’s what is confirmed. Peacock first announced the project in development in April. On June twenty-second, it gave the show a straight-to-series order.
It comes from Seth MacFarlane’s company, Fuzzy Door, together with Universal Global Television. Chris Yost is writing it, and he and Eric Heisserer are the showrunners. Matt Dinniman is a co-executive producer.
And the first casting is perfect. At San Diego Comic-Con in July, it was announced that Jeff Hays, the audiobook narrator, will voice Princess Donut. No one has been cast as Carl yet, and there is no premiere date. Filming is reportedly planned for twenty twenty-seven, but that hasn’t been officially confirmed.
What’s Next
There’s more coming in print, too. In an interview in early twenty twenty-six, Dinniman said the main story will end with the ninth book, though it will be split across two volumes. That means the end is in sight.
There’s also a webcomic, a graphic novel arriving in twenty twenty-seven, and a tabletop game in the works. The dungeon is getting bigger.
Start Reading
So here’s my advice. Begin with book one, give it fifty pages, and decide. If you want my full take, the spoiler-free review is linked here. If you’ve already finished the book, my ending explained video is waiting for you.
Tell me in the comments: which book is your favorite so far, and who should play Carl?
