Matt Dinniman settles the Dungeon Crawler Carl audiobook speed debate

How fast should you listen to Dungeon Crawler Carl? It is one of the fandom’s most persistent discussions, particularly because Jeff Hays’ performances are a major part of the series’ appeal.

Matt Dinniman’s LitRPG saga imagines a post-apocalyptic Earth stripped by an alien corporation. The remaining humans are forced into a televised competition called Dungeon Crawler World: Earth. Among them is Carl, a Coast Guard veteran accompanied by the talking cat Princess Donut.

The audiobooks have attracted a large audience, but listeners do not agree on playback speed. Conversations on Reddit, Facebook and TikTok range from standard 1.0 playback to speeds above 2.0.

“I personally feel anything above 1.5 is psycho.”

Dinniman discussed the question during an interview at New York Comic Con. The conversation also covered the developing live-action adaptation, the future of LitRPG and the direction of the book series.

What is coming next for Dungeon Crawler Carl?

A planned graphic novel, developed through a BackerKit campaign, will follow Florin. Dinniman wrote a short story covering what the character did before entering the dungeon and through the first floor. Michael Moreci wrote the script, while Brett Bean is handling the art. The project is being referred to as the Crocodile comics, and Dinniman said more character-focused stories could follow if its reception is strong. Readers can find the project through the Crocodile comics campaign.

Dinniman does not expect to write another novel in the Dungeon Crawler Carl universe after finishing the series. He said he is working on the final book, which will be divided into two volumes. He is also developing a separate book for Ace at Penguin Random House, described as a particularly violent cosy fantasy.

The live-action adaptation is still taking shape

The television project will need changes because the books cannot transfer directly to the screen. Dinniman said the adaptation team consists of fans who are protective of the material, but he could not yet say what the biggest changes would be.

The scripts were not finished at the time of the interview, so questions about practical effects and digital effects remained unanswered.

LitRPG is moving beyond its early niche

Dinniman described LitRPG as an established form rather than a brand-new genre. The term began gaining wider recognition around 2015, while his first book that he considers LitRPG arrived in 2017.

He credited earlier authors with building the scene and said he was simply among the first to secure a broad traditional publishing deal and reach physical bookshops. LitRPG sections are now appearing in bookstores, with titles such as He Who Fights with Monsters, Noobtown, The Wandering Inn and Apocalypse Parenting helping represent the wider field.

Dinniman expects the genre to expand beyond its familiar fantasy setting. He pointed to romance and dating-simulation-style LitRPG as likely growth areas, noting that similar formats are already popular in Asian webtoons, webcomics, manga, manhwa and web serials.

Horror, humour and future projects

Although he may write another LitRPG occasionally, Dinniman said his current non-Dungeon Crawler Carl project is not one. He considers himself a horror writer first, and said darker material comes naturally to him. In his view, horror and humour work as complementary forces, while the character banter provides contrast between the heavier scenes.

The author’s recommended audiobook speed

Dinniman generally listens to audiobooks at between 1.0 and 1.2 speed, occasionally moving to 1.25. For him, 1.3 and above can start to diminish the performance.

He said listening at 1.2 is perfectly reasonable, but believes very high speeds can strip away some of Jeff Hays’ vocal nuance. His verdict is clear: anything over 1.5 is too fast for his personal taste, even if listeners using 2.3-speed playback are still following the story.

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