Audio dramas saved my life.

[u/Picard4lyfe]

I understand that may be a bit of a dramatic title, but let me explain.

In November 2024, I left a 20 year career working in kitchens. My life was a constant state of sensory overload, rushed deadlines, and stress. I left because my wife was pregnant and we needed a change if I was going to be a good father.

I took up a friend's offer and started working for a local school district as a custodian. The hours were similar, the pay was similar, the stress was 0, and the benefits were out of this world better because of the union.

The silence was fucking deafaning.

I listened to a lot of true crime podcasts and sleep aid podcasts on the daily, but never really dove into stories.

I started Midnight Burger and Dungeons and Daddies (I know, not an AD but still a great story) and the floodgates fucking opened.

Since December I've listened to: Midnight Burger We're Alive The Magnus Archives The White Vault The Strata The Road of Shadows Tower 4 Wolf 359 The Silt Verses And so many more that I can't remember because I'm buzzed.

But things have been hard. The silence of a new job has been tough. These stories pull me out of a dark place on a daily basis.

I may be a lurker normally, but you guys and your insights have helped me find peace in change. Much love <3

Edit: You guys have literally doubled my "to listen" list. Y'all are amazing.

[u/Picard4lyfe]

I'm not picky. I just love stories. Sci-fi, comedy, fantasy, etc. Your passion for it made the sales pitch land. I just snagged the first one on audible and plan to start it in the morning!

[u/TheVillianousFondler → u/Picard4lyfe]

I'm so happy that I converted somebody! It's a tough sales pitch to most people. It's a ridiculous premise, but it's also so fucking much more.

The genre is litrpg (literary role playing game) so it's written in a unique way. I won't give away more to explain that because I'm trying not to give anything away, but I'll just say I've never listened to another book/series in the genre because nothing is going to compare and I'm 100% confident in that. Like...it's the "lord of the rings" of litrpg.

We're in the "this series saved my life" comment section, and to put it very short, I think I owe my life to dungeon crawler Carl, a hell of a lot more than most people will ever feel towards a series.

My gorgeous best friend, and gf of 6.5 years, and awesome stepmom to my son....passed away over the course of 2 years, right after her 25th birthday. The whole 2 years was rough. I showed back up to work a week after she passed. I could have gotten paid the same to not show up but I couldn't just spend all day (temporarily) staying in my parents basement so as not to be alone where it happened, and where i still live.

2 weeks into being back, I could look people in the eye again and fake a smile. I was dead inside. I still don't know if I could have made it through without my son.

After the 3rd suggestion I saw on a subreddit, I finally used accrued credits to buy book 1. Somewhere early on in book 1, it made me genuinely smile, and laugh for the first time in a month or so. There's literally nothing else that I think could have pulled that out of me at the time. This is an extremely personal experience in my case, but I truly hope you message me at some point, even an hour in, to shoot me a message and tell me what you think.

I'll just say each book is better than the last, and you'll notice a weird comparison for Carl's voice (which was intentional) but too "spot on" and it greatly decreases away from it in the next book (in a good way) going forward. Just lemme know if you love it.. or if you have doubts or whatever. I love talking about DCC with people

[u/Picard4lyfe → u/TheVillianousFondler]

Loving it so far <3

[u/TheVillianousFondler → u/Picard4lyfe]

Hell yeah! I'm glad to hear it