LitRPG author Matt Dinniman revealed at DragonCon that writing the AI’s foot fetish in the first book of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series was one of his biggest mistakes. Published initially in 2020 through self-publishing on Amazon and introduced in 2019 on Royal Road before moving to Penguin Random House, the hit sci-fi franchise has now sparked bizarre fan mail, including actual wedding invitations featuring groomsmen’s feet.
The Bottom Line
- The Confession: Matt Dinniman admitted at DragonCon that inventing the AI’s foot fetish in Book One of Dungeon Crawler Carl was a major regret born from trying to amuse himself while writing.
- The Aftermath: The breakout success of the eight-book LitRPG series has translated into bizarre physical fan mail, including a wedding invitation composed of five Polaroids of men’s feet.
- The Screen Adaptation: As Peacock presses forward with its television series adaptation—featuring audiobook narrator Jeff Hays returning to voice Princess Donut—the fate of the infamous AI-Carl dynamic remains a major talking point for fans.
From Self-Publishing Phenomenon to Cult LitRPG Empire
Back in 2019, Matt Dinniman introduced the world to an apocalyptic reality show via the web novel platform Royal Road, eventually bringing the first volume of Dungeon Crawler Carl to Amazon in 2020. The premise remains brilliantly unhinged: Coast Guard veteran Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s prize-winning show cat, Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk, must survive a massive fantasy dungeon filled with deadly traps, exploding goblins, and drug-dealing llamas. According to reporting from West Sound Magazine, Dinniman spent a decade writing his first novel before finding his stride with this breakout series, utilizing an extensive Excel sheet to track the sprawling lore as it expanded.
Here is the kicker. While the books experienced a slow-burn ascent before hitting critical mass around August 2024 when Penguin Random House released print editions and TikTok discovered the fandom, that growth came with an unexpected cultural tax. Dinniman never anticipated how deeply the audience would latch onto the mechanical dungeon administrator’s bizarre obsession with Carl’s body parts. Speaking via Instagram from DragonCon, the author explained how a simple moment of writer’s amusement completely backfired on him in real life.
Inside the Fandom’s Most Uncomfortable Fan Mail
Writing a blockbuster literary role-playing game (LitRPG) series means connecting with a passionate, hyper-engaged internet culture. But for Dinniman, that engagement has occasionally crossed the line into the surreal. Explaining the genesis of the running joke, the author detailed a specific sequence in the first book where Carl stands atop a dozer after defeating a goblin, needing a way to measure his own presence without a mirror.
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but you know, one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made was that scene that I wrote in Book One,” Dinniman shared during his DragonCon appearance. He thought it would be funny if the AI got aroused by the action, cementing an unconventional dynamic between the crawler and the system. But the joke has followed him straight to his PO Box. Dinniman recounted receiving a wedding invitation consisting of five distinct Polaroids of men’s feet belonging to the groomsmen, leaving the author joking that he now possesses the exact opposite of a foot fetish.
| Metric / Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Author | Matt Dinniman |
| Initial Release | 2019 (Royal Road) / 2020 (Amazon Self-Publishing) |
| Publisher | Penguin Random House |
| Current Book Count | 8 Books Available (Expected to conclude around 10) |
| Upcoming Media Adaptation | Peacock Television Series |
Streaming Adaptations and the Future of the Franchise
As the literary universe expands toward its expected conclusion around book ten, Hollywood has taken notice. Peacock has greenlit a television series adaptation of Dungeon Crawler Carl, bringing the high-stakes alien game show from the page to the small screen. Fans already know that audiobook narrator Jeff Hays is locked in to reprise his role as Princess Donut, though casting conversations continue around who will tackle the notoriously difficult vocal gymnastics required for the over-the-top AI.
Whether Peacock’s upcoming adaptation leans fully into the AI’s infamous proclivities or dials it back for television audiences remains to be seen. One thing is certain, however: as production ramps up down the pipeline, the author’s plea to his fanbase stands. Please stop mailing Matt Dinniman pictures of feet.
