After listening to “Project Hail Mary” (and loving it), I went out onto the interwebs looking for a new audiobook. Many folks on Reddit recommended “Dungeon Crawler Carl” so I downloaded it. I have many thoughts on my listening experience, here are the basics.
What I liked: The narration is top notch. Jeff Hays’ variety of voices and audio styles was entertaining. “God dammit, Donut” and the “NEW ACHIEVEMENT!!” lines will crack you up every time. The fight scenes ‘down in the dungeon’ keep you focused on the characters as they struggle to stay alive. As a former (bad) D&D player myself, it does make you wonder what it would be like to be suddenly thrown into that world (minus the alien factor).
What I didn’t like: Sadly, I got bored between chapters. When I go into a movie theater, I want to be completely absorbed into the plot. If I start noticing the exit signs, speakers, curtains on the wall, or sounds other people are making, the movie has officially lost me. That takes 2 points off immediately. In fact, as I write this, I still have four chapters to go…and I’m not in a hurry to catch up. Yes, there are some fun/great/exciting moments in the book, but many times I got distracted, fell asleep, or lost interest. That’s on the writing, not Jay’s audio performance.
I never felt distracted listening to “Project Hail Mary”. It grabbed me from Chapter 1 thru to the end. My wife called once during a good chapter and I hung up on her telling her I was ‘busy’. LOL. I’m listening to it again for the 4th time. It is GREAT for long drives.
I’ll recommend “DCC” for those fantasy/D&D lovers out there. For others, it’s only 3/5 stars or “purchase on sale”.