While social media may lead some to believe the apocalypse-set series “Dungeon Crawler Carl” has taken over the literary world in a meteoric rise, its ascent has, in reality, been more akin to a slow burn powered by word of mouth through its cult fanbase.
Matt Dinniman is the author of the hit literary role-playing game (or LitRPG) series and calls Gig Harbor home. Before becoming a literary phenom, Dinniman had been passionate about writing and creating small works of fiction since he was a young child.
“I didn’t really think about making it a real career until I was in high school,” Dinniman told West Sound magazine over email. “(Then) I started working on what would eventually become my first novel. It took me 10 years to write. I write a little more quickly now.”
In 2003, Dinniman released “Every Grain of Sand,” which marked his first official crack at a fantasy-slash-dystopian series and today is seen as the first part of “The Shivered Sky” trilogy.
While attending the University of Arizona and Prescott College, he supplemented his learning with creative writing classes at Pima Community College in Tucson.
While Dinniman has a typical artist’s résumé encompassing a wide variety of jobs, from pizza delivery to telephone-psychic work, one of his first stints out of college was at the Yakima Herald-Republic, where he wrote obituaries. Eventually, he penned them for the Tucson Citizen, a graphics-leaning publication that supported his transition to advertising and his goal to sell art.
When the idea for “Dungeon Crawler Carl” came around, Dinniman knew he wanted to draw on his personal experiences and his Washington roots.
“I used to sell cat-themed art and would travel to cat shows, so I learned a lot about that world and the people who live in that world. I knew I wanted to write something with not just any type of cat, but a show cat,” he said about his inspiration behind one of the series’ main characters: a feline named Princess Donut or, as she’s more formally (and wordily) known, GC, BWR, NW Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk.
While it would later be picked up by “big five” publishing giant Penguin Random House, the “Dungeon Crawler Carl” origin story is one of self-publishing success.
In 2019, Dinniman introduced “Dungeon Crawler Carl” on Royal Road, an online platform that allows authors to publish web novels and fan fiction. In 2020, he began self-publishing the series on Amazon.
At press time, the series has expanded to eight books — though it’s not finished yet — and Dinniman expects the series to conclude around 10. It also just received the green light from Peacock on a “Dungeon Crawler Carl” adaptation for TV streaming.
We recently connected with the local author to learn more about the series’ cult following, his creative process, and what’s next for Carl and Donut. Our conversation has been edited for clarity.
For our readers who have never heard of “Dungeon Crawler Carl,” what’s the gist?
A man and his ex-girlfriend’s cat are stuck on an alien game show.
The series recently saw a spike in popularity, especially online, despite the first book being published in 2019. Why do you think a wider audience is catching on now? When did you know the series had reached a new level?
It’s gaining in popularity in the same way it did when it was fully self-published. Slowly, slowly, and then boom … it reaches critical mass and spreads. It’s all word-of-mouth. This started in earnest around August 2024 when the Penguin Random House version hit bookstores, and TikTok discovered it.
The dungeon and all its lore are complex. How do you keep track of the characters, rules of the dungeon, items, etc.? What does your process look like?
Ha, ha — those are two very different questions. I keep track of everything with a very extensive Excel sheet. But my process is a little bit of chaos. I make it all up as I go along with no outline and no plan. It’s how I prefer to write. Because of that, I have to keep track, or I simply wouldn’t be able to make it work. It’s like doodling on a giant canvas.
Carl and Donut are from Seattle, and there are nods to Washington throughout the series. Why Washington? Do you think the Northwest has shaped your writing as an author? Why was including Washington important?
Washington is where I lived when I started writing it, and Carl has a very chill Seattle personality. This area has definitely shaped my writing. I find authors from different U.S. geographic regions have different flavors to their prose — in the same way the same food dishes can taste different based on where you buy it.
I wanted Carl to be a realistic character, so I built him using a personality type I’m very familiar with.
The eighth book in the series, “A Parade of Horribles,” released this year. You’ve previously mentioned the series will be complete at around 10 books. For those who have already devoured this one, when can they expect more?
I’m already working on book nine. I’m not sure when it’ll be done, but I anticipate it’ll be about the same time frame as last year. About a year, give or take a few months.
The series has quite a passionate fanbase. What’s it like walking into a convention and seeing people dressed as Carl, Donut, and others? Did you ever imagine DCC would rise to this level of fandom?
No, I never imagined this in a million years. It never gets old. It’s humbling to meet so many diverse people who’ve read my stuff.
Peacock recently announced that it has greenlit a DCC television series. What made working with Seth MacFarlane and his team at Fuzzy Door a great fit for the series?
I am looking forward to working with the Fuzzy Door team on the TV adaptation. They’re all consummate nerds, so it seemed like a natural fit.
Without giving anything away, is there anything that excites you most about where the series is headed?
Yes. I can’t wait to reveal the ending. The problem is, I have no idea WTF that ending is. I discovered it just a few months before the readers do.
For any aspiring fantasy writers in the Seattle area, is there a lesson or something you wish you had known when you first started?
There are lots of writers in the area. And there are a lot of writing groups. Small groups were vital to me, and I still find them useful.