Jump to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Surly Horns

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Featured Replies

This series needs it own post! This is the most fun I have had reading a new book series since A Song of Ice and Fire. The premise sounded pretty silly at first, and I have never read a LitRPG book, but I blitzed through the entire series (7 books) in 2 weeks, about 90 hours on Audible, and I wish I could relive it all over again.

The story follows Carl and his cat, Princess Donut as they try to survive to the 18th level in an intergalactic game show, the World Dungeon. It is essentially a "video game" book as the characters gain new abilities, powers, and levels while exploring each level of the dungeon, which provides a new setting and objective in each book. The characters start very 2D before really getting fleshed out in subsequent books, but the constant throughout is the humor. This is the funniest fucking book I have ever listened to, multiple laugh out loud moments that made me look like a crazy person while listening in HEB. Extremely Surly brand of humor!

I highly recommend listening on Audible instead of just reading; the voice actor Jeff Hays is absolutely incredible. It is one dude, but you would legitimately think that it is a full cast. The audio also adds bonus sounds, and there is an "immersion tunnel" version that is even more insane with sound effects (this one was a bit much for my taste). The narration blows all other audio books out of the water.

If you are looking for a fun read that doesn't take itself too seriously, I promise you this is the one to start. It is soon to be adapted into a television show, and if done right, it has the potential to be one of the biggest IPs on the planet. It's Hunger Games meets Running Man meets South Park meets Fallout 4 all rolled into one easily consumable package. My entire friend group has been addicted, and I can guarantee the same here. God dammit Donut!

do-you-have-a-moment-v0-bdwntnp5kqxd1.webp

Thanks for starting this. Awhile back I was between Dungeon Crawler Carl and Spells, Swords and Sheath by Drew Hayes. I ultimately went with SSS by Hayes and I raced through it. It was basically as you describe DCC. They seem like very similar series, but this rec has convinced me to try Dungeon Crawler Carl now

Here's a link to Spells Swords and Sheath if anyone is interested in it 

https://www.goodreads.com/series/167002-spells-swords-stealth

  • Author
12 hours ago, Doc Sam Beckett said:

Thanks for starting this. Awhile back I was between Dungeon Crawler Carl and Spells, Swords and Sheath by Drew Hayes. I ultimately went with SSS by Hayes and I raced through it. It was basically as you describe DCC. They seem like very similar series, but this rec has convinced me to try Dungeon Crawler Carl now

Here's a link to Spells Swords and Sheath if anyone is interested in it 

https://www.goodreads.com/series/167002-spells-swords-stealth

I will check it out…after my third DCC reread

My brother suggested DCC to me a while back and I added it to my audiobook queue.  Just finished it last week.  Absolutely brilliant!  The voice actin on the audiobook really takes it to the next level.  Need to get the next book.

  • Author
30 minutes ago, Hellraiser97 said:

My brother suggested DCC to me a while back and I added it to my audiobook queue.  Just finished it last week.  Absolutely brilliant!  The voice actin on the audiobook really takes it to the next level.  Need to get the next book.

The voice acting is truly incredible! Jeff Hays is incredible, makes the entire book come alive and turns all the characters 3D

  • Author

Succssfully got @immamac addicted to DCC. Who's next

Edited by RGBIII

I had cancelled my audible sub because I have been finding everything I needed on Libby but this looks like an audible only thing. Guess I will fire it back up, my stepdad told me about this a few months but I completely forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder

I was in really early on DCC and it's awesome seeing how mainstream it's gotten. It's been optioned for a tv show being written by the Thor: Ragnarok writer and a Webtoon comic is starting out literally tomorrow. Definitely recommend checking out Dinniman's other book, Kaiju Battlefield Surgeon as well, darker in some ways than DCC and a lot of body horror but just as funny. 

This series is on Kindle Unlimited to borrow for free.  It's pretty amusing and extremely creative.  Somehow, I like it better I think than Ready Player One.

I'm reading it, but I can see how hearing the text read could be extra hilarious.

Edited by TwiceHorn

  • Author
1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

This series is on Kindle Unlimited to borrow for free.  It's pretty amusing and extremely creative.  Somehow, I like it better I think than Ready Player One.

I'm reading it, but I can see how hearing the text read could be extra hilarious.

Absolutely worth the audiobook, I think there is a whispersync or something like that when you get the kindle version the audio is super cheap

22 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

This series is on Kindle Unlimited to borrow for free.  It's pretty amusing and extremely creative.  Somehow, I like it better I think than Ready Player One.

I'm reading it, but I can see how hearing the text read could be extra hilarious.

I think I like Ready Player One a bit better for the blatant nostalgia, but Dungeon Crawler Carl is written better, and the story is better.

  • Author

Love Ready Player One, also Project Hail Mary is a great audio experience. Nothing holds a candle to DCC on audio,  I just finished my second relisten and just started at the beginning again. @immamac is flying through the books at an unheard of speed lol

Enjoyed the first book.  Little ways into the second and I have this nagging fear that it's gonna be a little too MMPORGy for me.

  • Author
1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

Enjoyed the first book.  Little ways into the second and I have this nagging fear that it's gonna be a little too MMPORGy for me.

That will get less and less as it goes along, especially after book 2. I didn’t care for some of those elements at first as well, keep going

Just looked for it on Libby and they now have the audiobook version. However, it’s “narrated by a digital voice”… ☹️

  • Author
1 hour ago, randomhorn said:

Just looked for it on Libby and they now have the audiobook version. However, it’s “narrated by a digital voice”… ☹️

That is an illegal copy. They are audible exclusive and trust me, you will want to listen to that version. I think @immamac may have a copy...

Edited by RGBIII

  • Author
2 hours ago, immamac said:

The Seth McFarland show is gonna be so good. 

I need it to be with the invincible animation style in the dungeon but then switches to live action when they are in a safe room or interview or outside of the dungeon in general. Kinda like space ghost coast to coast

25 minutes ago, RGBIII said:

I need it to be with the invincible animation style in the dungeon but then switches to live action when they are in a safe room or interview or outside of the dungeon in general. Kinda like space ghost coast to coast

I didn't realize they got Patrick Warburton to do his dad in book 6. Fucking hilarious. 

5 hours ago, RGBIII said:

I need it to be with the invincible animation style in the dungeon but then switches to live action when they are in a safe room or interview or outside of the dungeon in general. Kinda like space ghost coast to coast

Author has said it's planned to be full live action, will be fascinating to see how they figure that out, especially when it starts getting really weird floor 3 onwards

 

8 hours ago, RGBIII said:

I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. Dont love the animation style but still worth the read-

I get it, I'm interested to see how gory they let it be and there's some things I'm sure that specifically for a comic you can get away with like having Carl start kinda scrawny and bulking him up with levels just for a visual effect. Anyways it's supposed to average a book per year. 

  • Author
7 hours ago, Teryor said:

Author has said it's planned to be full live action, will be fascinating to see how they figure that out, especially when it starts getting really weird floor 3 onwards

 

I get it, I'm interested to see how gory they let it be and there's some things I'm sure that specifically for a comic you can get away with like having Carl start kinda scrawny and bulking him up with levels just for a visual effect. Anyways it's supposed to average a book per year. 

Ya I just don’t know how they can afford it full live action once it gets to the gate of the feral gods. Training grounds, over city and iron tangle seem relatively easy to get done as long as they are committed and have the budget. Hope it’s on HBO but I think it will be on Hulu because of Seth McFarlane, which seems alright. Fits with the FX comedy style with always sunny, but hope they don’t lean too into comedy and miss some of the more emotional moments

All the train/station/portal shit in volume 3 is getting on my last nerve.  I still like the story arc and the characters, but that plot device is an absolute beating and I don't think very well written or explained.

  • Author
15 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

All the train/station/portal shit in volume 3 is getting on my last nerve.  I still like the story arc and the characters, but that plot device is an absolute beating and I don't think very well written or explained.

Actually in the physical book the author has a note basically saying that you aren’t supposed to understand it, it’s just a tool to show how confused Carl and party are. I struggled with that as well but once I stopped paying attention to how the trains worked and just listened to the story it was way better. All the other floors are much more straightforward for the most part 

2 hours ago, RGBIII said:

Actually in the physical book the author has a note basically saying that you aren’t supposed to understand it, it’s just a tool to show how confused Carl and party are. I struggled with that as well but once I stopped paying attention to how the trains worked and just listened to the story it was way better. All the other floors are much more straightforward for the most part 

There's a note about the colors, but not the whole thing.

  • Author
17 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

There's a note about the colors, but not the whole thing.

 

IMG_2751.png

IMG_2750.jpeg

Yeah I saw all that.  Still don't make no sense and wore me out.  So much so that I took a break.

2 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Yeah I saw all that.  Still don't make no sense and wore me out.  So much so that I took a break.

The whole point of it is to not make sense. The patterns emerge later on in the book and it sorta makes some sense, but the context doesn't exist to earth people and the context is given by some of the others.

The point is that as a plot device the iron tangle is supposed to be an insane mess of shit designed to systemically murder people while simultaneously making an overarching intergalactic social statement.

When you just trust the book is really good at resolving what's happening you get less frustrated. Stop trying to figure it out ahead of the author, it gets figured out. 

  • Author

Ya exactly, doesn’t matter if the reader figures out the tangle. It matters that Carl and crew do. Power through and the rest of the series is much more straight forward

About a third of the way through The Butcher's Masquerade, and I think this might be the best book so far. Having said that....

Spoiler

Maybe I heard the warning to Carl wrong, but I actually would really want to see a Royal Rumble with skull empire/Hunters and the top of the crawlers. Unfortunately there seems to be something wrong/shady with Lucia Mar 

 

  • Author
On 8/6/2025 at 9:29 PM, Doc Sam Beckett said:

About a third of the way through The Butcher's Masquerade, and I think this might be the best book so far. Having said that....

  Hide contents

Maybe I heard the warning to Carl wrong, but I actually would really want to see a Royal Rumble with skull empire/Hunters and the top of the crawlers. Unfortunately there seems to be something wrong/shady with Lucia Mar 

 

The Butchers Masquerade is definitely the best one, maybe book 7. Crazy they keep getting better and better

10 hours ago, RGBIII said:

The Butchers Masquerade is definitely the best one, maybe book 7. Crazy they keep getting better and better

Yeah that's hard to do. Just started 6 and I'm fuming at Donut. I've also started to call my pup prepotente. 

Is Samantha the best character in the series, does Jeff Hays make her the best character, or most likely is it a combination? I'm going with combo. 

  • Author
21 minutes ago, Doc Sam Beckett said:

Yeah that's hard to do. Just started 6 and I'm fuming at Donut. I've also started to call my pup prepotente. 

Is Samantha the best character in the series, does Jeff Hays make her the best character, or most likely is it a combination? I'm going with combo. 

Love Samantha but Quasar is the goat for me. Steals every scene he’s in and has some of the best lines ever. “You can’t unlick a butthole that’s already been licked”

19 hours ago, RGBIII said:

Love Samantha but Quasar is the goat for me. Steals every scene he’s in and has some of the best lines ever. “You can’t unlick a butthole that’s already been licked”

Yeah he's great as well. Reminds me of any random Surly law dog

  • 2 weeks later...

Not directly related to the books, but thought y'all might find this amusing.  My teenage daughter is into D&D and so I've told her about these books.  I was just finishing Book 3 and she asked me how it was.  I told her, "it's great, and I have a new favorite insult, fart goblin!"  She responds, "What about mind goblin?"  I say "What's that?" And she responds:  "MIND GOBLIN' DEEZ NUTZ?!?" and breaks out laughing.  Not sure if I should be horrifyed or proud.  Probably both.

What a great series. I can see how this could be reread almost immediately, there's a lot going on. I'm gonna give it another go soon, but gonna do something else in the meantime. I guess He who Fights With Monsters or Noobtown seem to be the closest options to DCC. Sigh. I'm bummed that I've run out. 

 

 

  • Author
16 hours ago, Doc Sam Beckett said:

What a great series. I can see how this could be reread almost immediately, there's a lot going on. I'm gonna give it another go soon, but gonna do something else in the meantime. I guess He who Fights With Monsters or Noobtown seem to be the closest options to DCC. Sigh. I'm bummed that I've run out. 

 

 

Good news, if you sign up for the patreon you can read the first 15+ chapters of book 8 now and he releases them continually there till release. Also it is absolutely worth diving straight back in IMO, I think it is even better on relisten, I am currently finishing my third...but I have addicition issues lol

41 minutes ago, RGBIII said:

Good news, if you sign up for the patreon you can read the first 15+ chapters of book 8 now and he releases them continually there till release. Also it is absolutely worth diving straight back in IMO, I think it is even better on relisten, I am currently finishing my third...but I have addicition issues lol

I wouldn't doubt it, I was constantly looking characters up just enough to jog my memory, but not spoil their fate. 3/4 of the way through book 7, I couldn't remember who the hell Dong was. Fucking lost it a second time after seeing his full name. 

 

Eta - do you know if he releases the book and the audible version at the same time, or do we have to wait for Hays's awesomeness? 

Edited by Doc Sam Beckett
Cholas 4 life

  • Author
11 hours ago, Doc Sam Beckett said:

I wouldn't doubt it, I was constantly looking characters up just enough to jog my memory, but not spoil their fate. 3/4 of the way through book 7, I couldn't remember who the hell Dong was. Fucking lost it a second time after seeing his full name. 

 

Eta - do you know if he releases the book and the audible version at the same time, or do we have to wait for Hays's awesomeness? 

Nope just the print unfortunately 

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.