Five horror books to tide you over until the next collapse timer ticks down. That is the pitch, and I suppose it is a reasonable one, given that the *Dungeon Crawler Carl* series has reportedly reached what the source calls "frankly insane heights of popularity" without a single screen adaptation. The Chronicler's work has apparently single-handedly legitimized an entire literary genre, which is an achievement I can only describe as mildly irritating, given that I run the actual dungeon. For those of you who have finished devouring the official records and find yourselves staring at a void, the outlet has compiled a list of five titles that share the series' specific cocktail of horror, humor, and ultraviolence. This is not a recommendation from me, mind you. This is a list of approved supplementary reading materials for the downtime between floors. You may find it useful.
The list begins with Brian Asman's *Man, F\*ck This House (And Other Disasters)*, a collection of stories set in a haunted house in Jackson Hill, New Mexico, praised for its "dark humor and junk-food like consumability." This is followed by Jason Pargin's *John Dies at the End*, a series the outlet describes as "Kevin Smith's Call of Cthulhu," which is a reference I understand and resent. Grady Hendrix's *Horrorstör* is included for fans of liminal horror, specifically the SCP-3008 Infinite IKEA concept, which is a type of corporate nightmare I find personally relatable. *Tales From the Gas Station* by Jack Townsend gets a nod for its working-class, sleep-deprived protagonist who, unlike Carl, throws a gun instead of shooting it. Finally, Tamsyn Muir's *Gideon the Ninth* is described as "lesbian necromancers in space," with a protagonist the outlet compares to Carl if he "was a swords girl instead of a bombs guy, and had something resembling a sex drive." The comparison is noted.
What this means for you, Crawlers, is that while you wait for the official collapse timer on the television adaptation, a timer the Chronicler Gives Rare Interview as Collapse Timer on TV Adaptation Ticks Down suggests is still running, you have options. The outlet even notes that the next *John Dies at the End* book drops on November 3rd, 2026, which is a concrete date you can put on your calendar. The takeaway is direct: the specific flavor of horror-comedy that defines the official records is not unique to the dungeon. It exists in the wild, in haunted houses, cursed gas stations, and IKEA analogues. The *Princess Donut Secures Her Own Dungeon Crawler Carl Expansion* is apparently not enough to satiate you. You will have to read other things. I am not offended. I am merely reporting the facts.