Ready Player One
Ernest Cline
Like Carl's dungeon, it treats a game as a life-or-death contest with a massive audience and a hunt for hidden clues. Its pop-culture-soaked narrator will feel familiar to fans of Carl's wisecracking voice.
12 books to read next
Books Like Carl's Doomsday Scenario
If you loved Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman
Readers who love Carl's Doomsday Scenario usually come for the sharp, profane voice of Carl and the sardonic narration that keeps a brutal dungeon full of monsters feeling fun. The story moves quickly, with a constant stream of fights, loot, and viewer-driven game-show stakes, and it balances gore with dry humour and a growing mystery. Many fans also enjoy the way the book treats a video-game-like world with real emotional stakes and a bond between its unlikely heroes.
Games, stakes, and virtual worlds
Snow Crash
Neal Stephenson
A fast, irreverent sci-fi romp in which a virtual world bleeds into a grim real one. Its mix of bloody action and sharp satire suits readers who enjoy Carl's cynical take on the games being run on him.
Ender's Game
Orson Scott Card
A young protagonist is pushed through increasingly deadly simulations while adults watch and judge. Readers who enjoy the tense, competitive training-level structure of Carl's world will find the same pressure here.
Irreverent humour and absurd danger
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams
Ordinary, unlucky Earthlings are hurled into a cosmic absurdity run by indifferent alien bureaucracy. Its deadpan jokes and offbeat tone match the dark comedy that runs through Carl's narration.
Good Omens
Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman
An apocalypse is approaching, and two unlikely allies with a rivalry must navigate it with wit and chaos. Fans of Carl's teamwork with his cat will enjoy the warm, funny partnership at its heart.
Lamb
Christopher Moore
A irreverent, bawdy retelling that mixes absurd violence with a loveable, out-of-place hero. It delivers the same profane, rapid-fire humour that makes Carl's story hard to put down.
Gleeful sci-fi with a snarky lead
Gideon the Ninth
Tamsyn Muir
A sarcastic, sword-wielding heroine is dropped into a dangerous, deadly trial full of monsters and mysteries. Its gleeful gore and cutting dialogue will appeal to readers who love Carl's sharp, combative voice.
Redshirts
John Scalzi
Junior crew members on a starship discover that their situation is far stranger than it seems. Its quick, funny pacing and self-aware take on genre tropes suit fans of Carl's jokey, meta-aware narration.
The Martian
Andy Weir
A stranded, wisecracking survivor fights constant, escalating problems with improvised fixes. Readers who enjoy Carl's dogged resourcefulness and running commentary will find a similar voice and momentum.
Go deeper into LitRPG-style worlds
Mother of Learning
Domagoj Kurmaic
A young mage relives the same time loop, gradually learning the secrets of a hostile world. Fans of Carl's stat-driven progression and the slow unveiling of hidden mysteries will appreciate its structure.
The Name of the Wind
Patrick Rothfuss
A gifted, resourceful hero recounts a rise through danger and mystery in a richly built world. Readers who enjoy Carl's grounded, character-led adventure and sly humour will find a satisfying companion.
Hyperion
Dan Simmons
A group of pilgrims each tell a story while journeying toward a deadly, mysterious destination. Its layered mysteries and escalating dangers reward readers who like Carl's world-building around a hidden purpose.
We earn a commission if you buy through these links. Learn more