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Books Like Dungeon Crawler Carl

Dinniman, 2020 · #13 on the Epic Fantasy 101 Booklist · 95/120

Alien showrunners demolish Earth, and the survivors must fight down through a televised dungeon. Carl, his ex's cat and his loot try to stay alive.

Its strongest scores: creative details and climax and fights. The five books below have the closest scores across all eleven criteria.

If you liked Dungeon Crawler Carl, read:

1. Thomas Covenant

   Donaldson, 1977 · #7 on the list · 100/120

   A leper from our world is pulled into the Land, where his illness is cured and the people hail him as a saviour. He refuses to believe any of it is real.

   Close on mood, structure, creative details, real-world blend.

2. Barsoom

   Burroughs, 1912 · #44 on the list · 82/120

   Confederate veteran John Carter is transported to Mars, where he fights green Tharks and wins the hand of the princess Dejah Thoris.

   Close on mood, structure, further reading, creative details.

3. The Chronicles of Amber

   Zelazny, 1970 · #31 on the list · 86/120

   Corwin wakes in a hospital on Earth with no memory and discovers he is a prince of Amber, the one true world. His siblings are fighting over the throne.

   Close on mood, theme, structure, further reading.

4. The Old Kingdom

   Nix, 1995 · #24 on the list · 89/120

   Sabriel, daughter of the Abhorsen, crosses the Wall from her English-style boarding school into a land where the dead will not stay dead. She must walk into Death itself.

   Close on theme, structure, further reading, creative details.

5. The Dark Tower

   King, 1982 · #16 on the list · 94/120

   Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger of a dying world, crosses deserts, cities and our own reality in pursuit of the Tower at the center of everything.

   Close on theme, structure, creative details, real-world blend.

How the scores work: each book is rated 1 to 10 on eleven criteria; real-world blend and climax and fights count double, for a maximum of 120. See the full Fantasy 101.