Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.
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Notes -
I forgot how god damn fun the series Cradle by Will Wight is. Something about the cultivation/progression fantasy genre just really speaks to me, inspires me in a way other fiction doesn't do often enough.
On the non-fiction side it's rarer to find a fun book, but I remember really liking Moonwalking with Einstein, where a journalist learns to become a memory champ.
What are some of the most fun things you've read, fiction or non fiction?
Dungeon Crawler Carl is the absolute best page turner I’ve ever read, it’s a litRPG. It is kind of progression fantasy because the MC levels up and gets a lot stronger, but I’d say the focus is a lot more on the MC’s clever plans than the MC unlocking new powers to annihilate enemies with. The MC is usually behind the power curve in raw power but more than makes up for it in cleverness and utility.
Progression fantasy is my guilty pleasure and I've read a truly shameful amount. So clearly I enjoy the subgenre (and the adjacent ones).
Yet I struggle to find any redeeming quality of DCC. IMO it's got all of the weaknesses of the genre and none of the strengths.
I know there's no accounting for tastes, but DCC seems to be one of the more popular series and I really can't wrap my head around why.
Mind trying to tell me what you found enjoyable in it?
First, I enjoy the creative fight scenes. From the first action where Carl panicking kills a bunch of goblins trying to kill him in a weird scrap vehicle, the fights are pretty creative and better than just two people punching or throwing fireballs at them.
Second, I liked the world building. There’s a lot of mystery about how exactly the wider universe and the dungeon crawl work, and I like reading more about it.
Third, I like all the characters- they have imo realistic personalities and are all fighting hard to survive.
Ultimately I like reading it because it’s a page turner, I have no idea what’s going to happen next in the plot but I know whatever it is, it’s going to have lots of action and be satisfying.
What I don’t like- I don’t mean this as a criticism, just parts that other people love I don’t consider a real draw. I don’t think it’s particularly funny. There are lots of jokes, but they never make me laugh, they more add a sense of grimness to the setting that the death game world is just entertainment for aliens. And I don’t think it’s really very progression fantasy-y. Earlier I said that the fights were better than just throwing fireballs, but it is missing that certain satisfaction that comes from the MC going from shooting sparks from their fingers to blowing up city blocks with a wave
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