Let’s talk GameLit/LitRPG…
Let’s talk GameLit/LitRPG…
My first experience was the Ready Player duology by Ernest Cline and the This Trilogy is Broken 4 book series by JP Valentine. I’ve also had many recommendations for Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman.
The Ready Player series was basically an ok story with a “hey, remember this thing from the 80’s‽” through-line. And while some of the jokes felt forced, the Valentine Series overall was a ton of fun and I couldn’t stop reading it.
What else have you really enjoyed? (This genre lends itself towards a couple of Bingo squares too. )
I haven't read a lot of western litrpg, but there's pretty heavy overlap with Japanese light novels. Arguably a good chunk of the tropes and popularity spilled over from Japanese light novels and Chinese progression fantasy/xianxia. In that genre I can recommend these pretty easily:
- Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra, which has a guy transported to a fantasy world with powers like a Civilization leader.
- Log Horizon, where a bunch of MMO players kind themselves in a world basically like the game they know but slowly uncover differences.
- Sword Art Online: Progressive, which is basically the original story filled in with the details and character development needed to make it actually pretty good.
- Konosuba, which has a lot of similarities to gamelit progression and such but is very much a comedy.
If you're into web novels, Shadow Slave and Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint are both incredible while scratching that itch. I've only read the manwha but Greatest Estate Developer also lurks around the genre while being quite good.
I don't enjoy this genre, really.
But He Who Fights With Monsters is probably the most enjoyable read I've had in a long time.
I have a feeling that’s kind of where I’m gonna end up as well. As a general statement, I’m not sure that I enjoy the genre on its own like I generally do fantasy, mystery, or science fiction, but I am definitely enjoying a few of the books in the genre a lot.
Honestly, most books in the genre are not great from a critical perspective. Even popular and "good" ones. But they do a great job of being long-lasting entertainment products that get that dopamine flowing, and they engage you in a way that is hard to find elsewhere.
Lucky Wander Boy by D.B. Weiss.
I think you should looking for xianxia genres. Xianxia is gamelit, but in the opposite way :D because the book usually write long before game is popular, and game follow their concept.
Usually, xianxia is like you play rpg, you farm or quest, accumulated resources (which you can consume directly, or exchange for pill and drug and food that you can consume, or weapon, manual), then consume resource (i.e: spend hard-earn money to make you stronger), then get stronger, level up, beat the boss (optional), go to next map, repeat.
But usually the whole novel is an interesting journey without too much of repetition.
Do you have any recommendations?
Maybe: One you feel is the Best? First I should read to get a feel? Your Favorite?
A A Record of A Mortal's Journey to Immortality
Cradle series by Will Wight is in that genre without being steeped in idiosyncratic Chinese culture.
Prophecy approved companion is excellent! It gave me all the feels. It’s both extremely funny, and extremely poignant as the main character learns who she is, what’s really going on, and her intended roll in it all. It’s one of the few series where the reader knows exactly what’s happening from the start, but the fact the main character being slow to catch on isn’t frustrating.
Listening to He Who Fights With Monsters rn and enjoying it. Started out slow, but once the ensemble characters get introduced it picks up.
I enjoyed Trash of the Count's Family (licensed in English as Lout of Count's Family by Seven Seas) until it got too repititve and drawn out for me (which tbf was smtg like 600 chapters in) though that one's lighter on the game interface aspect (ie you're not getting stats and ability blocks). The found family focus is nice.
So I'm a Spider, So What? is really heavy on the game interface, but the weirdness of the premise (what it says on the tin here) and the quirkiness of the protag with a sort of deuteragonist who handles the more serious side of the story until it all comes together was good.
There's also an whole "girls' genre" focused on visual novel games that's pretty popular (haven't read/watched it, but My Next Life As A Villainess I think is the most popular). Heads up though these ones are usually around having to build relationship and romance meters if you're just looking to stick to power leveling "boys' genre" stuff (which no shade both are fun!). Villains Are Destined to Die is a pretty good one I've read for the genre, but severely depressing (there's a bigger story, but most of it is about "I'm stuck in a game world that forces me to deal with an abusive family and it's making me suicidal"). Probably more happy girls' genre ones, but I can't think of any that have an official English translation/are default English off the top of my head haha.
If you wanna dive into the genre I think most important decision is what amount of gamifying you want to read about it cause it extends from "character woke up in/is playing a game and it's rarely if ever mentioned this is a game world again" to "every other page you have massive game statblocks dumped on you and are supposed to remember entire stat systems, skill trees, etc".
I've been getting into it too and have read a few! In no particular order:
- Awaken Online (::: spoiler spoiler I'm still mad about the last cliffhanger :::)
- Shopopocalypse
- Blade's Rest (not quite as well written, but still pretty good)
Technically not LitRPGs, but close and absolutely worth reading IMO:
- Wizard 2.0
- Expeditionary Force (this is kinda polarizing, but I loved it)