On the advice of a number of colleagues here at CinemaBlend, I decided to read the first book of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series after it was announced that there would be a (potentially expensive) book-to-screen adaptation of the series. I’ll say this upfront: I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it, and there are some things that I’ll get into here that I do really like about it. Some things I didn’t like so much, which I’ll also get into. Ultimately, it’s that list of comparisons that is why I think the show could be fantastic, and why I’ll definitely be watching when it finally hits Peacock sometime in the future. Hopefully in 2027. What I Didn’t Like About The BookOne of those colleagues admitted to me that Dungeon Crawler Carl is “Millennial coded,” and while I didn’t sense that as I was reading, it may have played a part in why I didn’t love it. As a Gen Xer, there was still plenty to latch onto in the references and the style of the story. I’ve played plenty of RPG and first-person shooter video games over the years, so that wasn’t lost on me. I still found that storytelling device a little lacking. It made it very hard to see Carl and Donut as real people. I kept picturing video game avatars instead of flesh and blood people (and cats).That wasn’t all, and I think what initially had me scoffing was the obvious influence of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy trilogy. I think author Matt Dinniman tells a great story, but the cheeky humor felt too close to the Douglas Adams books, which are among my favorites ever. That might not be fair to Dinniman, but it became one of those things that I just got obsessed with as I read. That’s a “me thing,” more than anything else. (Image credit: Dandy House)What I Did Really LikeWhile the writing style didn’t get me excited, I did really love the whole premise of the book and the story. I love post-apocalyptic stories, and Dungeon Crawler Carl is unique. Just when I thought there were no more end-of-the-world stories to be explored, I got this wild idea about a game show in a collapsed version of Earth. Bravo, Matt Dinniman! I really like the whole story, going from floor to floor and taking on video-game-like antagonists and “final bosses.” It’s just really fun. I also really like the relationship between Carl and Donut. I’m not a cat person, but Donut is a fantastic character in every way. She’s snarky and obnoxious, but she’s got real heart, too. I’m a fan. I also really like Carl. He is a realistic hero, and he’s a great hero. He’s got enough of a backstory to make his abilities believable, but he isn’t a superhero, either. I’ll conclude by admitting that I’ve only read the first book, and I do plan to read at least the second before putting the series down. That means I’m still open to coming around and loving it as much as my colleagues, but no matter what I do or end up thinking, I’m really looking forward to firing up my Peacock subscription when the show drops.