The Bookish Bard

As I’ve reached middle age, I’ve discovered the wonderful world of LitRPGs and what I like to call absurdist sci-fi.

So, what exactly is a LitRPG?

It’s essentially a book where the protagonist finds themselves in a video-game or D&D-like world, complete with levels, stats, skills and quests.

The genre has been around for longer than you might think, with elements dating back to Andre Norton’s Quag Keep, published in 1978. However, LitRPG has surged in popularity in recent years, helped by writers such as Matt Dinniman and his Dungeon Crawler Carl series.

I’ll be posting separate reviews soon, but needless to say, I loved them. They made me laugh, panic for the characters and become far too emotionally invested in a story involving rampaging god genitalia, murderous succubi and a cat named Princess Donut.

If you’ve ever owned a cat, you’ll recognise exactly the sort of personality Donut brings to the table.

There’s a stereotype that LitRPGs are written primarily for middle-aged men who grew up playing Sega Mega Drives and PlayStations and never quite got over it.

And, well…

They’re right. 😂

But that doesn’t mean they’re only for that audience. LitRPGs can be surprisingly accessible, with writers such as Dinniman introducing their worlds’ rules and mechanics clearly, without turning the book into an instruction manual.

Many LitRPGs were originally self-published, but the genre has increasingly moved into mainstream publishing. There’s now a growing range of books from authors such as Dennis E. Taylor, whose Bobiverse series I’ll be reviewing soon, and Travis Deverell (He Who Fights with Monsters).

This newfound love of LitRPGs also led me down another enjoyable rabbit hole: absurdist sci-fi.

What do I mean by absurdist sci-fi?

Quite simply, science fiction that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Think The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy or Red Dwarf: worlds where the science might be questionable, the situations are ridiculous, and yet everything somehow works.

What I love about both genres is their ability to offer a completely bonkers escape without being overly serious or complicated.

Sometimes you don’t need literature to be profound.

Sometimes you just want to read about a talking cat, a self-replicating AI with a penchant for Star Trek, or someone desperately trying to level up before being eaten by a small ninja gerbil.

If you haven’t tried these genres before, give them a go. I’d recommend the Dungeon Crawler Carl series as an ideal starting point.

#DungeonCrawlerCarl #Bobiverse #HeWhoFightsWithMonsters