This post was originally published on Audible.com.
Among the most popular writers currently publishing speculative science fiction tales is Matt Dinniman, author of the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl series. What started as a single novel, Dungeon Crawler Carl—which Dinniman self-published as an audiobook and an ebook—has expanded to include eight novels (out of an expected 10), the most recent of which was published in May 2026.
With millions of books sold in multiple languages and countless eager fans celebrating each book’s release, it’s no surprise that several adaptations are now in the works. A television show is currently in production at the streaming service Peacock, and the first collected edition of the webtoon version was published in May 2026, with more volumes to come.
Dungeon Crawler Carl follows the title character, Carl, who improbably survives a world-destroying alien invasion with little more than his boxer shorts and his ex-girlfriend’s prissy cat. With the darkest of humor, plenty of action, and an eye toward social satire, the series has become a defining example of LitRPG (literary role-playing game), a sci-fi/fantasy subgenre that weaves classic elements of role-playing games and video games into the narrative. No one is better at fusing these elements than Matt Dinniman, who even encourages his thousands of Patreon patrons to vote on important developments in the story.
The series’ cohesiveness and satisfying nature are even more impressive given that Dinniman is a self-proclaimed “pantser,” or someone who writes by the seat of their pants rather than carefully plotting out every twist and turn. Odds are, if you were surprised by something that happened in one of his books, he was too! This spontaneity certainly comes through in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, which has attracted many audiobook listeners who appreciate the wild, freewheeling sense of fun and adventure that balances out the horror and tragedy of the character's situation.
Whether you’ve been crawling along with Carl since day one or are just curious about the sensational book series that everyone is talking about, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about Matt Dinniman, the unforgettable book series that made him famous, and Dinniman’s other exciting audio works, many available exclusively and in various languages from Audible.
About Matt Dinniman
There really is no more “modern” success story than that of Matt Dinniman, who used the internet to attract a fanbase that shares his love for online gaming.
When Dinniman was a child, good stories were the one thing he could always depend on: his family moved around a lot, so he often turned to books for companionship and as a launching point for his own stories.
As a young adult, Dinniman quickly acquired the skills that would make him a riveting author in his own right. He took creative writing classes at Pima Community College, and during his time as an obituary writer for a newspaper in Yakima, Washington, he discovered a talent for drawing cats. This led to a successful career drawing pictures of people’s pets, and a fateful encounter with a Persian show cat who would provide the initial kernel of inspiration for his most famous series. He also began self-publishing his own novels and making them freely available online. Dungeon Crawler Carl was one of these novels.
Then, in 2020, the pandemic hit. Like too many others, Dinniman unexpectedly found himself without a steady income. Dungeon Crawler Carl came to his rescue, as Dinniman asked the book’s fans to support him through Patreon.
The response was bigger than Dinniman or anyone else could have imagined. He was able to leverage the fandom he had built around the book into a lucrative career, which so far includes a traditional publishing deal, merchandising (who doesn’t need a Princess Donut plushie in their life?), and appearances at venues of all kinds, from major conventions, to Audible Story House in New York, to small coffee shops, especially those located in and around his home in Gig Harbor, Washington.
The Dungeon Crawler Carl audiobook series has received consistently high ratings from fans, who often listen to individual books again and again to relive the adventure and pick up on any clever jokes they missed the first time around. This “relistenability” is part of what makes Dinniman’s work so beloved and so enduring.
Ready to dive in? Below, you’ll find information on all of Dinniman’s books, including the best order to experience them.
Dungeon Crawler Carl listening order
You will, of course, want to begin with the modern classic that started it all. Aliens have turned Earth into a multi-level game show, Dungeon Crawler World, where survival depends on building your follower count through creative goblin slaughter and being both quick and entertaining on your feet. Among the few who survived to “play” this game are Carl, a Coast Guard veteran, and Princess Donut, a talking cat. Do they have what it takes to reach the next level?
As with all of the Dungeon Crawler Carl books, this one is an Audible exclusive narrated by experienced voice artist Jeff Hays.
Good news: Carl and Donut have made it past the first two levels in the apocalyptic game show that used to be planet Earth. Bad news: Those were the easy levels. Now our intrepid twosome has to face even more dangerous obstacles, from ancient spells to raining corpses and even a zombie circus. They may have won favor among their alien viewers for now, but staying popular enough to survive these new challenges won’t be so easy...
The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook
Think your commute is tough? Check out the Iron Tangle. In the latest and most insidious (so far) level of their dungeon crawl, Carl and Donut must navigate a monster-infested subway system where nothing makes any sense whatsoever. They are joined by some of their fellow crawlers, who are beginning to realize that cooperation rather than competition might be the best way to ensure their continued existence.
Author and YouTuber Will Jordan, also known as The Critical Drinker, joins Jeff Hays in providing narration for this riotous addition to the Dungeon Crawler Carl series.
Our heroes may now be open to cooperating with other crawlers, but that doesn’t mean they’re keen on working with a bunch of newbies. On the other hand, Carl and Donut have found themselves in the exact same situation as those inexperienced new players: stuck in a bubble filled with the kinds of deadly yet ridiculous traps they’ve come to expect. Faced with the choice of trusting a seemingly untrustworthy bunch or accepting almost-certain elimination from the game, what will Carl and Donut do?
Welcome to the jungle, where crawlers track, fight, and kill enemies of all kinds in the hopes of netting an invite to the Butcher’s Masquerade, a big party to celebrate the level’s top scorers. But first, Carl and Donut have to outwit the hunters: non-players intent on bagging as many crawlers as they can. As if they didn’t have enough problems! Our heroes will need to use every ounce of brains and brawn they have acquired along the way to break through to the next level.
The Eye of the Bedlam Bride
By Matt Dinniman
Narrated by Jeff Hays, Patrick Warburton, Travis Baldree, Annie Ellicott
This time, Carl and friends have to face a slew of mythological monsters, actual gods, an artificial intelligence that absolutely should not be trusted with anything, and the world’s deadliest card game. As locations and alliances grow and change, and as the battles get tougher, one thing remains the same as it always has: they must make it to the end of the level without anyone losing their heads.
The Eye of the Bedlam Bride is narrated by a full cast that includes Jeff Hays, beloved actor Patrick Warburton, jazz musician Annie Ellicott, and veteran audiobook narrator Travis Baldree.
The seventh book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series marks a shift in the dynamic between the crawlers and the alien overlords who are forcing them to play for their lives. This time, the crawlers aren’t just fighting to be the first to make it to the castle at the center of the level—they’re fighting to free themselves from a game that none of them wanted to be a part of in the first place.
Jeff Hays and Travis Baldree narrate this critical installment.
After all of the intense and deadly battles Carl and Donut have been through, you’d think they’d be happy enough engaging in some basic, seemingly harmless races. But Carl doesn’t trust that everything is as it seems. The only way to find out the truth is to get to the next level, a mysterious place known only as “a Parade of Horribles”—and he must do so on his own terms.
Dominion of Blades listening order
Before there was Carl and the dungeon, there was Jonah and the Dominion of Blades, the world’s most popular role-playing game. Jonah wakes up one day to find himself trapped in the game, which was recently shut down because its full-immersion system proved too dangerous. But Jonah and his companions have no choice but to fight their way through to the end if they want to escape and survive—and find out how they were trapped here in the first place.
Award-winning narrator Andrea Parsneau brings Dominion of Blades to hilarious, suspenseful life.
Jonah and friends planned to infiltrate the goblins’ stronghold on a simple reconnaissance mission—“planned” being the operative word. Once those plans go awry, as they very quickly do, the party must navigate a series of unexpected, unpredictable challenges. Now if only certain members of the party can stop complaining long enough to get with the program...
Andrea Parsneau is joined by Hays McGee in The Hobgoblin Riot, an engaging, award-nominated sequel to Dominion of Blades. This series is currently unfinished, but Dinniman has stated that he intends to continue it someday, and you can be ready by familiarizing yourself with this wacky yet terrifying world now!
Other works by Matt Dinniman
In this pulse-pounding standalone adventure, a man named Oliver is one of many ordinary people who have colonized the planet New Sonora. Their peaceful life is shattered when an earthbound corporation decides it’s more cost-effective to destroy New Sonora by recruiting video game enthusiasts to kill all the colonists remotely. Can Oliver use his limited resources to fight back and save his home?
If you loved the humor, the relatable characters, and the deep emotion of the Dungeon Crawler Carl books, Operation Bounce House is sure to satisfy. The audiobook is narrated by two familiar voices: Jeff Hays and Travis Baldree.
Listen In: A Conversation With Matt Dinniman
Listen In: A Conversation with Matt Dinniman
By Matt Dinniman, The Audible Editors
Narrated by Matt Dinniman, The Audible Editors
In this Audible exclusive interview, Dinniman shares the method behind the madness of the Dungeon Crawler Carl universe. Among the topics discussed are the central role that audio and fan participation play in the development and delivery of the wildly popular series. And, of course, he touches on the most important subject of all: the creation of the inimitable Princess Donut. Fans of the series are sure to learn something new from this far-ranging interview!
Traps and Specters
By Philip Fracassi, Matt Dinniman (Introduction By) - introduction
Narrated by Sean Patrick Hopkins, Patricia Santomasso
Dinniman provides the introduction to this collection of short stories from celebrated author Philip Fracassi. Traps and Specters is the perfect book for sci-fi fans who get a macabre thrill out of exploring the darker side of life and death, so come prepared to confront the undead, ghosts, exorcisms, and technology that threatens to do more harm than good.
Scheduled for release on September 22, 2026, this anthology is read by the multi-award-winning husband and wife narrators Sean Patrick Hopkins and Patricia Santomasso.
Eileen Gonzalez is a freelance writer and editor based in Connecticut. Armed with a Master’s in digital communication, an obsession with comic books, and a very clingy dog, she has written on a variety of topics, from literature to legal matters.
