Dungeon Crawler Carl is wowing fans everywhere. But how long has LitRPG been happening, and which works is it playing with? How much of it is based in Dungeons & Dragons itself? And can anyone help with these pop culture jokes? The characters are launching a revolution, but as they battle corporate cruelty and the power of fandom itself, this satirizes our world more than a little. Other threads express concern over what we're becoming in a posthuman, AI-led culture. In a lighter current, the series also extends a love letter to the 80s and so many types of games, with hilarious awesome moments of triumph for the little guys. Dive deep into everything about this beloved series and discover what it's really all about.

Valerie Estelle Frankel is the author of over 100 books on pop culture, including Doctor Who ? The What, Where, and How, Hunting for Meaning in The Mandalorian, and Who Tells Your Story? History, Pop Culture, and Hidden Meanings in the Musical Phenomenon Hamilton. She's also written the award-winning Henry Potty parody series and an ongoing academic series analyzing Jewish science fiction. Once a lecturer at San Jose State University, she's now teaching at Mission College and San Jose City College. vefrankel.com