Part of Dungeon Crawler Carl, book 1
Rating: 4.50 (1 ratings)
First published 2020
Carl wakes to find Earth transformed into a deadly entertainment complex. Every building has collapsed into a massive dungeon system spanning eighteen floors. Alien broadcasters now run the show, turning human survival into prime-time television for cosmic audiences. Carl teams up with Princess Donut, a cat belonging to his former girlfriend, as his unlikely companion in this nightmare scenario. Together they face creatures and traps designed to kill while cameras capture every moment. The rules are brutal but simple: advance through each floor within the time limit or die permanently. Success depends not just on combat skills but on audience appeal, since viewer engagement determines access to better equipment and abilities. Carl discovers that entertaining the alien viewers becomes as crucial as fighting monsters. He must balance genuine survival instincts with the theatrical demands of his extraterrestrial audience. The deeper floors promise greater dangers and tighter deadlines. Carl and Princess Donut forge an odd partnership built on mutual dependence and shared determination to escape this televised death trap.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, adventure, fantasy, action, aliens
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unlikely-companions
Setting: Earth
Period: 21st-Century
444 pages · Hardcover · Independently Published