Dungeon Crawler Carl – The Graphic Novel #1

Matt Dinniman, Tevagah (Adapter), Laurel Pursuit Studios (Illustrator)
Completed 8/13/2026, Reviewed 8/19/2026
3 stars

I enjoyed this first issue of DDC – The Graphic Novel, but I wasn’t bowled over by it.  The novel is collected from the online series, and this volume contains about the first third or so of the first novel.  The art is good, standard manga/anime style.  However, I have issues with the drawing of Carl himself.  He looks way too young to be a coast guard veteran.  His character is more boyish than man-ish.  I guess I’m stereotyping here, but I was expecting a little more square-jawed and brooding, looking at least late twenties rather than late teens.  

So that was my first thought when I saw the cover of the graphic novel, and it unfortunately set the tone for disappointment.  I liked Princess Donut and the aliens; I just never got over Carl.  Despite that, I was able to enjoy it by the end.  It was good, but it certainly didn’t rock my world.  

This post is short because I’ve already reviewed Dungeon Crawler Carl.  (Click the link to see it)  I give this first issue of the graphic novel three stars out of five.  It didn’t thrill me like the first book did.  It’s probably because in the original text, there was more of Carl’s inner monologue, his thought processes, his coming to grips with what has happened to the Earth and its people, and the insanity of a live action, galaxy-televised DnD game.  It fleshed out Carl better, making him a more colorful loser cum action hero.  What I’d really like to do is listen to the audio book.  Everyone says the reader is amazing, so I’m going to have to try it.  

A Drop of Corruption

Robert Jackson Bennett

Completed 8/4/2026, Reviewed 8/13/2026

4 stars

This is the book which, while reading, I acquired an additional roommate and his dog.  It took me two and a half weeks to get through this Hugo nominee for Best Novel, sometimes reading only ten pages at a time.  Life simply became too chaotic.  I did get through it before the Hugo voting deadline, reading the last hundred or so pages in just over a day.  I really liked the ending, and I do love the main characters, Ana and Din. I’m just not sure if this book was better than this review will reflect.  The first book in this series, The Tainted Cup, I gave four stars initially but then changed to five stars after a reread.  I wonder if this book will have the same fate if I reread it before reading the third book in the series.

A canton outside the official borders of the Empire extracts the blood from the dead leviathans to create the magic needed to create the human augmentations which were introduced in the first book.  When a treasurer from Empire goes missing, seemingly abducted by a ghost, they call Ana and Din to solve the case.  They quickly find that this was a murder, one of several in the recent past.  In her usual way, Ana sends Din to do the investigating while he brings detailed info back to her through his augmentations.  They work with some local officials and soon find corruption all over this canton, weaving a web of deceit which may just stump Ana.

The book basically follows a similar mystery formula to the first book but of course set in different environs.  I thought, however, the banter between Ana and Din was less fun, more serious.  I missed that comic relief, or perhaps I had become used to Ana.  It seemed less playful and more scathing.   Also, Din’s sexual diversions seem to indicate an addiction rather than just normal appetite.  It makes his longing for the stability of his short time with Kepheus at the end of the last book that much more significant.

Something I really liked in the last hundred or so pages (but avoiding any spoilers) was Din’s cognitive dissonance over what he had to do in his job versus the rewards he gets from it.  The longing for Kepheus turns up, as does a thin side story involving Din’s paying back his father’s debts.  I liked the introspection and the eventual discussions and arguments between him and Ana.  It kept the character development going through the series.  And it kept me liking Din despite his constant need for sex.  

I give this book four stars out of five.  Reading the last quarter of the book in two sittings instead of another ten helped me to up it from the three stars I was considering.  The prose is still great, as is the  world building, with its Lovecraftian Leviathans and the industry around collecting their blood for augmentations in the Empire.  And it makes me want to see what happens to Din and Ana.  I really want to find out how Din attempts to resolve his issues with himself, his habitual promiscuity, and his dissonance-inducing job.  I’m also still excited about whether Ana is going to reveal to Din what her augmentation is.  Lastly, there’s the question of the true nature of the Leviathans.  So, yeah, the series obviously has its claws in me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to review this book for voting in the 2026 Hugo Awards.  The content of this review is my honest opinion.

2026 Hugos - Best Professional Artist and Fan Artist Nominees

The 84th World Science Fiction Convention

August 27-31, 2026 in Anaheim, California

This was my first time voting in these categories – and it was not easy to make voting choices.  The styles and sometimes the media are varied.  For example, for Fan Artist, one nominee does knitting, another jewelry.  With each one, I went with my gut reactions to put them in a voting order.  Since I probably can't post the art without all the artists' permissions, I’ve added links to their names so you can visit their galleries.  For Fan Artist, a few only have Instagram links.  But visit them if you can; they are worth checking out.  For voting, I could only consider their work from 2025.  Here they are in my voting order:

Category: Best Professional Artist

John Picacio – This author and artist, along with author Leigh Bardugo, produced the book “The Invisible Parade,” which I adored. The color palette and shadow used to convey the different images was masterful. 

Tom Roberts: This artist produced a handful of glorious covers for books last year.  

Kelly Chong: Another artist with some glorious book covers.  

Tran Nguyen: Beautiful work in fantasy and with comic character images.

Dave Kellett: Author of the graphic novel “Drive,” with art a little reminiscent of Jhonen Vasquez

Lulu Chen: Another artist with gorgeous colors in her artwork.  Gives off very cozy vibes. 

Category: Best Fan Artist

Yuumei: Wonderful!  Unfortunately, I only have an Instagram link for them.

Richard Man: Wonderful artist, both fine arts and photography.

Geneva Bowers: Lovely, striking color mixing.

Sara Felix: mixed media and jewelry.  The tiaras are stunning.

Terri Ash: Terrific knitting art.

España Sheriff: Cool logos and interesting black and whites.

2026 Hugos - Best Poem Nominees

The 84th World Science Fiction Convention

August 27-31, 2026 in Anaheim, California

The Best Poem category is top notch this year.  All the pieces made great impressions on me.  I’m getting better and better at appreciating good poetry.  I think it’s because I’ve been exposed to great prose over the past fourteen years or so with all the genre lit I read.  It still surprises me that you can write sci fi, fantasy, and horror poetry.  Edgar Allen Poe was always the exception in my mind.  Well, I stand corrected and better educated.  Also, I included links for the poems, on some of which there is an option to hear the poem being read.  Here are this year’s nominees in order from favorite to least favorite, which is tough based on their high quality.

“Landing: Seattle,” by Brandon O’Brien. 5 stars - This poem was composed for and read at the opening ceremony of the Seattle WorldCon last year by the very first Poet Laureate of a WorldCon.  It was extraordinary!  I’m probably biased by getting to hear it read by the poet himself and hear the live audience reactions.  I think he exhilarated all the attendees at the ceremony with his reading.  It was about a landing party coming to observe and participate in the WorldCon with Best Poem being an experimental category that year.  

“Hex Supply Customer Support Log,” by Elis Montgomery. 5 stars - This was a coy satire on customer support experiences with someone calling about a missing order of witchy ingredients for a hex.  But the person accuses the customer support rep of being an AI.  It’s great tongue in cheek poetry.  Found it amusing and sooo relevant, especially after finding out I had made an appointment for a furnace maintenance with an AI.  I felt humiliated.  

“The World to Come,” by Jennifer Hudak.  4 stars - This poem conveys the intense thoughts of a new revenant grappling with why they were resurrected.  They are not happy about it.  

“How to Become a Sea Witch,” by Theodora Goss. 4 stars - Delightful poem about becoming a sea witch and all the great things you can do as one.  Lovely word choices

“The Mourning Robot,” by Angela Liu. 4 stars - Another beautiful poem about robots who mourn for the dead, like the professional mourners of old.  Another with lovely word choices.

“Care for Lightning,” by Mari Ness. 4 stars - This was my least favorite poem, but it’s still a remarkable piece.  It’s about being a god and causing destruction, but hey, you get bored and itch for meaning when you’re an immortal.

 

2026 Hugos - Best Graphic Novel Nominees

The 84th World Science Fiction Convention

August 27-31, 2026 in Anaheim, California

A lot of life has happened since my last post.  I got a second roommate who came with a dog.  I’ve been trying to clear out the spare bedroom, which I’ve been using as an office and for storage.  I’ve also learned how to help take care of a dog which is brand new to me.  I dog sat for a friend many years ago, but now I’m actually living with one.  Fortunately, he’s completely taken with me.😀🐶

As for reading, it read quite a bit but did not take time for reviews.  These six graphic novels were all quite wonderful and each could have had their own blog entry.  Instead, I’ve written brief descriptions and reactions below, ordering them according to how I voted for them for the Hugo Award.  If the book is available on Bookshop.org, there is a link for it on the title.

The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo and John Picacio.  5 stars - Incredibly beautiful and colorful art accompanies this relatively short novel about a young girl grieving the death of her grandfather.  When he was still alive, he was reading her a story, but now she’ll never know how it ends.  Then she meets some beings very much like a kid-friendly version of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, who help her process her grief.  This all takes place around the time of Dia de los Muertos.  

The Space Cat by Nnedi Okorafor, art by Tana Ford.  5 stars – An easy, happy science fiction story about Nnedi and her daughter’s cat who is a secret space traveler.  This book was so sweet and easy, I fell in love with it.  The target audience is 8 – 12 years, but I enjoyed every second of it.  I loved the art and the happy story about Nnedi and Anyaugo bringing the cat home, the time it took for the cat to warm up to them, and the space adventures the cat has when everyone is asleep.

A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel by Ursula K. Le Guin, adapted and art by Fred Fordham.  5 stars – Gorgeous artwork accompanies this classic story of Ged searching for his shadow.  It’s been a while since I read the trilogy, so this novel jogged the memories.  I loved that Ged and most of the other characters are finally portrayed as copper colored as opposed to the whitewashed covers of the editions I read.  And the relationship between Ged and Vetch was much more intimate and beautiful than I remember.  The artwork surprisingly evokes deeper emotions than words alone.

A Girl and Her Fed by KB Spangler, art by Ale Presser.  4 stars – The author provided Act 3 of their webcomic series containing everything published in 2025.  This link in the title takes you to the webcomic.  It was a bit jarring coming in the middle of things, but I eventually caught on.  There’s a prophesy that the current hunky president will die in office.  A previous prophecy had been subverted so there’s hope that this prophecy can be subverted as well.  A ghostly Benjamin Franklin is behind the assassination attempt, and a ghostly Abe Lincoln gives advice to the president’s children.  Intense, but smart and sprinkled with good humor.  And there's a talking koala!

Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last Amazon by Kelly Thompson, art by Hayden Sherman and Mattia de Iulis, coloring by Jordie Bellaire, lettering by Becca Carey.  4 stars – I was not looking forward to this one, not having really been a classic comic book kid.  But I was taken by surprise at how much I enjoyed this.  It’s another genesis story of Wonder Woman.  It’s smart, with an excellent combination of fun and intense.  I think my favorite part was when she first appeared to regular humans to save them from giant Lovecraftian sea monsters attacking the West Coast. 

The Power Fantasy Volume 1: The Superpowers by Kieron Gillen, art by Caspar Wijngaard, lettering by Clayton Cowles.  3 stars – My least favorite of the nominees, I found this first volume to be very confusing.  I didn’t understand the nature of the main characters who have superpowers equivalent to the nuclear arsenal of the US until I read the blurb at the end.  The storytelling bounced between scenes and characters too much to keep a coherent narrative in my head.  One character starts a cult, one or more want to stop the cult, one’s an artist.  As an introductory volume collecting five issues, I was too lost to fully appreciate this work by the well-known writer of The Wicked + The Divine.

Guards! Guards!

Terry Pratchett
Completed 7/17/2026, Reviewed 7/17/2026
4 stars

I believe I have acquired all the Discworld books via Deals of the Day, but haven’t read any since The Color of Magic in 2016 and The Light Fantastic in 2021.  This was a book club read.  I felt meh about it in the beginning as characters and mood were being set but really got into the jokes and then the plot as the steam built up.  Like the two I read, this book (Book 8) is not great literature but is quite fun.  And yes, the books seem to get better as the series progresses.  Hopefully, I won’t wait another five years before I read another one.  

Carrot is the hulking son of dwarves.  After living in the world of the dwarves, his father advises him to live in the world of humans, because, well, Carrot is a human foundling they adopted.  Unsure, but trusting of his father, he agrees and gets a job with the City Watch.  Carrot is honored to serve, but the people currently employed by the Watch hate their job.  Their captain, Vimes, is a drunk, and the rest are pretty shiftless and unmotivated.  That is until a Secret Society begins conjuring dragons to wreak havoc on the city in order to install a king who will answer to the Society’s Grand Master.  Vimes and his team try to figure out what is going on as giant dragons were supposed to be extinct.  Soon the team begins to act more like the cops they are and, with the inspiration of the naïve Carrot, try to save the city from this fire-breathing menace.

None of the characters are really deep, but they have better characterization than your standard comic novel.  Carrot makes a good dumb and kindhearted cop.  Vimes begins acting more like a captain, even catching the eye of Lady Ramkin who maintains a shelter for wayward swamp dragons.  Wonse, the Grand Master, is fun as the slimy bad guy, and Vetinari is great as the morally questionable Patrician of the city.  They all throw around jokes, puns, and comic observations; even Wonse gets some good jabs in.  Lastley, there’s the Librarian, an ape who controls all the books in the great library at the university.  He is perhaps the most likeable as he is regularly annoyed by the humans.  I really liked Carrot, Lady Ramkin, and the Librarian right from their introductions.  The others took some time.  In the end, Vimes develops depth and a sense of responsibility and action that he didn’t think he had, which made me very sympathetic to him.  

The nice thing about the Discworld is that you don’t have to read the books in order.  The world building covers enough that you have no trouble getting situated in the story.  The prose is nice; mostly it’s just plain fun.  There are some very sobering passages in it.  This book was first published in 1989, coming off the Reagan/Thatcher period.  But these passages feel like they’re inspired by the events of today.  The best quite in the book is:

“The Supreme Grand Master smiled in the depths of his robe.  It was amazing, this mystic business.  You tell them a lie, and then when you don’t need it anymore you tell them another lie and tell them they’re progressing along the road to wisdom.  Then instead of laughing they follow you even more, hoping that at the heart of all the lies they find the truth.  And bit by bit they accept the unacceptable.  Amazing.”

I give this book four stars out of five.  When I finished it, I felt good.  It has great British humor and left me quite satisfied.  The plot is not necessarily imaginative.  It’s the delivery that makes this book a great read.  

Half a Million Hits!

 

Wow!  Yesterday, I had my 500,000th hit on my blog.  Again, I don’t know if it’s lots of bots hitting my blog or lots of real people.  Either way, it makes it easier for everyone to find.  Thanks to my readers, regular and intermittent.  You keep me writing reviews, even after twelve years.  

 I’m quasi-retired now, having been laid off for about a year and not having much luck getting past the AI application screening processes.  I can’t even get jobs that exactly match my previous job description.  It’s a game I’m tired of playing anyway.  That leads me to the decision to investigate monetizing my blog, i.e., adding ads.  Hopefully, they are not too obnoxious.  My intent is not to upset my regular human readers, but to capitalize on the possible bots hitting my blog, hoping they’ll click on ads and generate some side income for me.  Every little bit helps, right?  So bear with me as I redesign the blog a little and add the ads feature.  You don’t have to click on them, but by doing so, you’ll help me out a little bit.  

Keep reading folks!!  I hope you find inspiration to check out some of the authors and titles I’ve reviewed as you search for something to sink your teeth into.  Thanks again to everyone who visits.  I’m still in the midst of reading Hugo nominees and book club selections.  After August 8th, I’ll be back to the eclectic taste genre fiction we love so much.