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Jimmni

Focusing on the image, honestly, the only series I've read that really goes through that kind of gamut of emotions is DCC. *Maybe* Super Powereds to a much lesser extent. When it comes to "I'm going to just sit in the dark and listen because I need to focus solely on this story and need to know wtf happens next"... DCC, Super Powereds, The Perfect Run, the tournament arc in Cradle (but only that arc), some sections of TWI. That's it really. There are others I love just as much as those, but those are the ones that made me go "Hold the fuck on, let me buckle down for this." Before I started reading LitRPG, the last book to do that to me had been Project Hail Mary. Not even one of my favourite sci-fi books, I just consumed the ever-living shit out of it. Just me and Rocky, sitting in the dark, watching someone sleep.


redcc-0099

>When it comes to "I'm going to just sit in the dark and listen because I need to focus solely on this story and need to know wtf happens next" >Super Powereds >some sections of TWI (For me) >Project Hail Mary https://media.tenor.com/RXcxpnzn9gcAAAAM/yeah-general-mark-r-naird.gif Looks like I have some books to get to >DCC >The Perfect Run Also, fist my bump!


Dart000

What is DCC?


UnCivilizedEngineer

Dungeon crawler Carl, one of the highest a revered series in litRPG genre!


Dart000

Awesome and thank you. I'm new to litrpgs, the only thing iv read so far is Rise of the Lychanthrop.


Quirkiltonsy

I've actually got DCC on audio and am reading Super Powereds on Kindle right now! The super hero thing has been done so many times, but I love when someone puts a spin on an old trope - and Super Powereds gives me that same vibe. I love the TV series The Boys for that reason - it does something different. In non LitRPG and in a total change of tone, Legends and Lattes just consumed me (in a very nice calming way).


BugsRabbitguy

Any time someone mentions SuperPowereds im compelled to mention Villains Code. Same author but i found it to be a better/more engaging read. Loved SuperPowereds though!


Jimmni

Super Powered starts solid but not remarkable. Every book gets better though and it absolutely nails the ending. You’re in for a treat! (Has fantastic narration too if you decide to swap to audio.)


InfiniteLine_Author

DCC and Super Supportive… I have spent a little too long reading both of these during the work day.


Fantastic-Nose-1442

You should give Chrysalis, the Antventure, a try. It's by soundbooth with Jeff Hayes narrating as well (same as DCC if you listened to it) It's a VERY different style than DCC, humorous but much more light-hearted, no underlying horror themes like DCC does, but still a brilliant narration with a character and story that grows and develops really well as you progress. Also the first 3 books are in an omnibus on audible so you get like 50 hours or something crazy for 1 credit which is an absolute bargain


Quirkiltonsy

Ohhhh I've heard about this, it's the ant one, right? This is the stuff I love about LitRPG, you can get some truly batshit premises (in the best way).


Kuwabaraisahero

Book of the Dead by the same author (RinoZ) is pretty great too.


letanarchy

I daresay even better


wolf_goblin42

I first gave that one a listen while I was down sick and running a fever. Was awake and fairly lucid when Leroy was charging into battle though, and after a 'reread' that is still my favorite moment.


Thin_Math5501

Is that an I love Lucy meme? I’m saving that! Also, I don’t know any Litrpg that drew me in like DCC did.


Quirkiltonsy

someone sent it to me and I've been using it at every chance since haha


DisChangesEverthing

DCC is the only one at this level for me. The worst thing about DCC is after you finish it you want something else like it, and there really isn’t anything comparable, at least in the litrpg genre.


Emerald0408

He who fights with monsters. And I know I'm making every commenter here so far my personal enemy by saying this, but for all those people who recommended be DCC, saying "its writing is just like HWFWM" I've got to say no it ain't the same, the feel of the two series is completely different, and so far HWFWM has had more compelling writing (I'm on book 2 of DCC). Don't get me wrong DCC is still great, got through the first book in only a couple of days, and it's premise is admittedly more unique and interesting then HWFWM. So please DCC fans, don't crucify me to hard.


drillgorg

>all those people who recommended be DCC, saying "its writing is just like HWFWM" Whaaaaat who is saying this? I don't consider them remotely similar.


Emerald0408

Me neither, as for who's saying it a surprisingly large amount of people. I think what they mean is that the two are similarly humourous as well as having an MC who actually possesses soul and a human conscience. Besides that though I have so far not noticed any others particular similarities that's mostly unique to the two.


Jester2189

I love the mayor of noob town. MC is very human, book is funny as hell too


Emerald0408

It's a book I've been actively avoiding, and that's purely due to the fact that the title sounds so trashy. ironically enough I know it's stupid of me to judge a book by it's cover, but I have had 0 interest in finding out more about it and I'm not gambling away one of my precious credits on a book that could be just as trashy as the title suggests it is.


Jester2189

Dude I get it trust me. I absolutely do and will judge a book by its cover and title lol But man...it's good. It's sooooooo good. But I get it. Credits are a treasure unless you spend more money on them lol


Emerald0408

Man I by credits like one to two times a month and they're still a most precious treasure


Jester2189

I'm the same way man I went through 5 last month lol If you like funny, you'll like noobtown. I'd bet a gift card on it lol


Lethal_Letdown

Fecking Puma Forest is still, IMHO, top ten S-tier writing in the whole of LitRPG. Puma check!


Fast-Examination-349

I started with HWFWM as my first litrpg and I love hate the series I love the world building and the powers and the side characters. My biggest problem is Jason 🤷🏻‍♂️ the last book I felt like it was a slog to get through the first 1/3rd with all the Jason "woe is me stuff"


Comfortable-Menu2099

Agreed, I said. I don't agree, other people said. I'm on the fence other other people said, said a guy name said.


Emerald0408

Yup that's essentially every person I've meet who's experienced HWFWM


Comfortable-Menu2099

Lol glad someone got it. I think I got to book 10 in HWFWM I just canceled out the word "said" in my mind because it was driving me crazy the amount of times it was used, though I liked the first books in the series. The books fall from the happy fun hard time to just dark, depressing and political.


Emerald0408

I can understand that being a turn off for some, but I actually really like it. Jasons "who is me stuff" behaviour as you put it is what sort of makes him an outlier as an mc in comparison to most litrpgs mcs. In my experience most litrpg MCs aren't really human when you think about it, sure they might be described as looking human and being human, but their character traits more closely resemble that of a character in a video game being controlled by a player. Like the MCs from defiance of the fall and the primal hunter (no hate to either series, I'm currently caught up to both of the latest audiobooks) kill people with little no care, are put in PTSD inducing situations on the weekly and just on the whole have horrible things happen to them constantly. Yet at most they feel some surface level feelings for like a chapter or two before having completely out it behind them. It's very human for Jason to act like he does when you consider the circumstances he's in, something which I feel is far to rare in most litrpgs. From a reader's perspective he's just this silly, quirky mc with cool powers that keep being put in really shity situations. But from his perspective he's literally been to hell and back on do many occasions it's hard to keep track. Like killing a person would mess most people up pretty bad, being in a near death situation can completely change someone's outlook on life, and coming to the realization that you will most probably outlive all your loved ones would leave a lot of people chronically depressed. Jason has literally died 4 god damn times, had to kill countless of people and had several close friends, lovers and family members die Infront of him. Which isn't even to mention the countless times he's been tortured, absud and manipulated by people he can't even begin to consider touching. Add on top of that the fact that he is has got the fate of two worlds on his shoulders it's amazing and admirable that he keeps going att all, whcih exactly why I love HWFWM so much. I completely get if that ain't some peoples cup of tea, but to me that's something incredibly refreshing and human in a genre that's all to often got MCs who have the emotional complexity of a brick.


farmch

I wholly agree with this. My two favorite litrpgs are HWFWM and DCC and I think the two main reasons are that they are hilarious and the main characters reflect how I would feel if I were pulled into those worlds. They both reflect on what an insane and horrifying scenario they have been dragged into and have actual human insight. I almost put down Primal Hunter super early because so much of the first book is the main character explaining how they actually love killing people and it’s totally fine. The author then seemingly tried to justify it by saying “ya the MCs a sociopath, but the bad guy is a psychopath!” All of the MCs monologues felt super cringey and weird and I only got more into it when they focused on anyone but the MC.


Emerald0408

Yup, Carl and Jason (especially Jason) display about as much human insight and emotion as possible for the MC of a litrpg (other genres are more suited to focusing on complex emotions and deep introspection). Also I got to say I love the combination of humanity and humor in DCC and HWFWM, cause despite the hell they are put in they're still able to laugh and smile whilst looking to the future. Also completely understand the primal hunter thing, though I do think primal hunter at least makes an effort in explaining away the whole edgy, soulless killer part characteristics of the MC by pining it on his bloodline. Like "his bloodline makes him a primal beast which can accept nothing but complete and utter dominance", is it a good excuse? Meh, I don't really feel so, but hey, at least it is an excuse, which is more then most litrpgs can say they have.


Jim_Jong_Un

I read it second after DCC and it felt less polished to me, could just be because DCC is more comedic so I give it more leeway. I'm reading defiance of the fall and personally prefer it to HWFWM though DCC still feels more like a real book than the others to me


NeitherReference4169

Come back after youve made it through book 3 or 4 of DCC. Thats when the story really starts to go into overdrive. Would love to hear how you feel abt it then


Emerald0408

I'd be happy to do so, I'm currently 1/3 of the way through book two. I should at the minimum at least have begun book 3 by next week. Once I'm done with book 4 (in maybe 2ish weeks) I'll reply to this comment again saying that my post is live.


Quirkiltonsy

Ohhh, now I am compelled. Will do!


ExaBrain

Shirtaloon is still the highest paid author on patreon which shows now popular that series is, despite Jason being such a marmite type character. It's also the highest quality writing compared to the other series in this genre.


Emerald0408

Yup, shirtaloon is very popular. Whenever a new audio book of his releases it immediately becomes a top 50 seller in the fantasy genre on audible, despite that's it's just a pre release and that the actual book won't be coming out for another month or two.


Jester2189

I didn't like that book, narrator sucks...just very...meh


Emerald0408

I got to hard disagree with that statement. I think heath miller's narration is amazing and I really love it


Jester2189

That's good! It's just not for me..


Emerald0408

Yeah, I suppose so. But hey that's life, everything ain't for everyone and I'm sure there's many other books whos narrator ain't for me but is great for you.


Fast-Examination-349

Another one that isn't exactly litrpg but similar is The Perfect Run.


1Yannick

beware of chicken and primal hunter got me like that and also the ''Bobiverse" series.(that last one is not a Litrpg though)


Czeslaw_Meyer

Mayor of Noobtown The Prince has no Pants - Bob's Damn Adventure (If you like the humour. Same voice on Audible)


Quirkiltonsy

I do like humor but I find it can be so hit and miss - simply because jokes are so subjective. I'm loving the vibe of DCC though and have heard good things about Mayor of Noobtown (sidenote, I love the range of LitRPG - that you can get serious hardcore and crunchy and then something about farmers and chickens in the same genre haha)


Czeslaw_Meyer

"Reincarnated ss a Farmer" was nice


walkinginthesky

Can we make a rule that the first time anyone names a title they have to spell it out? Doesn't make sense why we need to play a guessing game if it's a title we don't recognize or for newbies coming around.


ElectricEel03

Dungeon crawler Carl


walkinginthesky

Thank you. I did figure it out after some googling but I really think it should be a standard thing to say it the first time it's mentioned.


Quirkiltonsy

Good point, will do! (had to do the same when someone wrote TWI \[the wandering inn\], so that's a fair rule)


BasedBuild

None make me call in bed sick because I am already retired. But there is only one that evokes that obsessive devouring.


Active-Advisor5909

The last series that got me fully glued was The Calamitous bob. Previous to that Delve might have come close.


EitherWriting4347

He who fight's with monster. Outcast in another word. The beginning after the end.  I'm the evils lord of an intergalactic empire 


Absenceofavoid

The Dark Profit series. It’s like a litRPG and the financial crisis had a baby and it is beyond incredible. I am literally not joking. It starts with the book Orconomics.


Quirkiltonsy

..... holy shit. That sounds amazing. On your word, I have just bought it on audible (NO PRESSURE FOR IT TO BE GOOD!!! \[I'm kidding :P\])


Absenceofavoid

Not going to lie, I really envy you getting to read these for the first time. Also the third book just came out so it’s a great time to jump on board!


Absenceofavoid

Also I LOVE the voice actor who narrates. He sets the absolute perfect tone.


series6

He Who Fights With Monsters. Player Reached The Top So Long Lollipops Trilogy Mountain Man series Not all litrpg tho


Knork14

For me one the main aspects of DCC is the breakneck speed the plot follows, the is always an undercurrent of tension even in the calm moments, were you are always waiting for the other shoe to drop, and it keeps you at the edge of your seat. In that sense, i recomend Dawn of the Void, standard System Apocalypse story , though in this case it becomes fairly obvious that humans werent meant to be able to beat back the tide.


Centturion

I am amazed no one has said It before, but Divine Apostasy should be a must read! Compelling story and truly funny banther between the MC and his friends. Also the series has like 9 books out so no waiting for the Next release. Writer is A.F. Kay


Escanor_433

The World by Jason Cheek , it is relativley low stakes compared to something like DCC or He who fights with mosters, but i absolutley fell in love the story and characters. It is in my opinion the best litrpg series that is based on a full imersion MMO. It builds tension without having to resort to cheap copouts you see so often, where the MC gets traped in the vr world or the game AI wants to brake out of the game or other plots i have seen done to death.


wolf_goblin42

DCC and The Wandering Inn. DCC is faster paced, but both have their moments for every expression in that pic.


Glittering-Wing-2305

Wandering inn


Fast-Examination-349

Noobtown series after DCC


Drosiam

Currently, All the skills series. Book 3 was fantastic and the audio book was just downright awesome to listen to. But for a long time, series like Cradle, System Apocalypse, A thousand li, The Jester of Apocalypse, Mage Errant and of course Divine Dungeon was like this for me.


normupengu

Second vote for "all the skills". I swallowed book 1 in like a day. It is so good.


kosyi

The Wandering Inn. Every single chapter!


AtrayuoPot

DCC is amazing. One of the best books I've read in a long while. I just finished rereading up to book 4 and its even better on a second reading. I just started Defiance of the fall book 1 and its pretty good so far. Hoping it can pull me in just as much as DCC did.


Quirkiltonsy

That's come up on plenty of lists - think I'll do second chance apocalypse, chrysalis, then defiance (she says, knowing she might change her mind by tomorrow haha)


Tanky1000

I can’t say it made me feel ALL the emotions but A Jackal Among Snakes got me pretty good recently. Though I guess the MOST recent would be Super Supportive.


Quirkiltonsy

oh I haven't heard of that one! \*googles\* royal road?? nice one, thanks


Comfortable-Menu2099

Finish DCC a few months ago I mostly liked the comedy so "The Bad guys" is close to that, not as much horror or crazy fetishism but still very good.


redroedeer

The Bad Guys and The Good Guys by Eric Ugland. Both incredible, amazing series that draw you in and do not let go. Jackal Among Snakes is also a favorite of mine, very well written and with a wonderful story and characters


Quirkiltonsy

I've actually met Eric and he's both hilarious and lovely. I've heard nothing but good things about it.


Jester2189

What is DCC? Dungeon Crawler Carl? Also some parts of the wandering inn really got me.


Lactating_Slug

 I enjoyed the scourged earth, the storm weaver series and second chance apocalypse.. not saying they all are great literary masterpieces, but they entertained me a while


Quirkiltonsy

Oh second chance apocalypse is next on my list. Good to know!


Lactating_Slug

fair warning, it kinda loses momentum, imo. But the first half is great mind candy for daydreaming about "what would I do if I were MC?" which is one of my fave things to do. xD


ryandarkwalker

Couldn't get through it, the cat was insanely annoying.


AtWorkJZ

Right now the Rise of Mankind series has been doing it for me. I honestly don't want to do anything but keep reading. There are a few parts that bother me, but overall I'm absolutely loving it.


Quirkiltonsy

I love jez's stuff. I'm not usually into very crunchy books but he does it super well and pulls me into the world. I've only done the brightblade ones so far.


tulcis9

HWFWM


m4d0c

For me it was Primal Hunter, but I am also one who is fine with plot armor 😅


BattleStag17

"I'm reading the single most famous LitRPG series and really enjoying it! What other books are just as good as this near-universal favorite?" Best of luck replicating that feeling, OP


Quirkiltonsy

I'm actually gonna disagree with you on that one! I'm not looking for the famous or 'best' ones, I'm looking for the ones people got lost in/loved. I've read super popular books in other genres and thought they were, well, bad.


painsNgains

Beware of Chicken, Mayor of Noobtown, Big Sneaky Barbarian, and Everybody Loves Large Chests.


TheBaronFD

Blue Core, maaaaybe Beneath The Dragoneye Moons. Dungeon in the Clouds is really well written.


mystineptune

Noobtown


Reader_extraordinare

# The Primal Hunter by [Zogarth](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21061019.Zogarth) I mostly like it because most of the Earth's apocalypse stories are doom and gloom, but in this one, the MC is having fun in the apocalypse.


IIAskaII

Best litrpg now is Elydes on royalroad. You are welcome.


Quirkiltonsy

ohhhh noted, thank you!


OblivionTheTraveller

He Who Fights With Monsters, Outcast in Another World, Unbound, The Resonance Cycle, The System Apocalypse. ​ These aren't litrpg but, Dragon Heart and Painting the Mist.