My BOOKS

What Is LitRPG?

I love talking about LitRPG. Picture this for a moment. I’m curled up with a good book, but instead of just following a hero’s journey, I’m seeing every level up, every skill unlocked, and every point gained as the action unfolds. That’s really the heart of LitRPG for me. It’s what I’d get if a role-playing game and a fantasy novel had a wild, imaginative child. If you live for stat sheets, skill trees, and epic quests, you’re right at home here.

At its core, LitRPG drops the excitement of gaming right into good old storytelling. The characters know they’re living in a world governed by a system that tracks every step of their progress. They see their stats climbing, unlock new powers, and sometimes battle with rules fate has tossed at them. Experiencing these moments as both a reader and a writer makes everything feel more immediate and personal. Open a LitRPG novel, and you’re right there, counting every earned achievement and XP point, feeling every setback as if it were real.

Most LitRPG tales play out in magical worlds, swarming with monsters, mystery, and ancient dungeons. But honestly, there are no limits. I’ve experimented with stories set in futuristic dystopias full of cybernetic upgrades, modern cities overrun with game mechanics, and parallel universes where yesterday’s rules mean nothing. The only real requirement is that the gaming elements (the stat sheets, skill trees, and visible advancement) stay front and center. That’s what keeps every adventure feeling new and unpredictable.

Who Reads this stuff?

If you think LitRPG is just for teenagers, think again. Sure, you’ll spot tons of anime and manga touches. Isekai stories, where someone from our world gets whisked away to another, are everywhere. But adults are just as hooked as younger readers, myself included. The appeal digs much deeper than you’d expect. These books wrestle with real themes: personal growth, tough choices, and wild philosophical questions about fate and identity. When a system’s got you boxed in, you’re forced to push back. To me, that’s not just fun and games. That’s compelling storytelling.

So What's the Deal?

Why am I and so many others obsessed with LitRPG? For me, it’s all about the sense of progress. I don’t just read about a hero growing stronger. I watch it happen, step by step, point by point. Skill after skill. It feels like I’m leveling up right alongside the main character. No passive reading here. The rules and world-building also give these universes a structure that makes them believable and exciting. When a character earns a new power or finally topples a boss, it feels hard-won and deeply satisfying. That’s something other genres just can’t match. A few settings come up over and over in LitRPG. There are the classic dungeon crawls, full of magic, monsters, and hidden treasure. There’s sci-fi LitRPG, where it’s all about technology, virtual reality, and sometimes clashing with rogue AI. Sometimes the story is set in our own world, but with all the fantasy mechanics baked in, shaking things up in the best possible way. Isekai stories remain huge. I love when ordinary folks drop into totally unknown worlds and have to figure things out from scratch, earning their place and picking up new tricks as they go.

What About These Other Things?

Let me give you a rundown of some close cousins to LitRPG:

• Isekai is all about characters who get sent from our world to another, picking up new abilities and tackling strange rules. Progression novels focus tightly on a character’s sweat, effort, and step-by-step growth. They don’t always have game stats, but every hard-won gain feels real.
• Xianxia and cultivation stories come from Chinese culture and myth. Those are about spiritual growth, martial arts, and the long, hard road to immortality.
• Dungeon Core books flip the formula by telling the story from the perspective of the dungeon itself, where the core is busy growing and defending against adventurers.
• Light novels from Japan are always a fun ride. They're short, illustrated, action-packed, and easy to pick up.

Why Dive In?

LitRPG breaks old boundaries every time. If you want to watch a character level up in real time, face wild quests, and deal with the joys and headaches of a system that genuinely affects their world, these are the stories for you. I don’t just write them. I love them, and I want you on this adventure with me. Kindle, Audible, Webnovel, and RoyalRoad are bursting with stories that can whisk you away faster than you can say 'Stat Window Open'.

So if you want to see what happens when every victory is earned and every level genuinely matters, crack open a LitRPG and join me, D. M. Rhodes, on our new journey where the story’s just getting started. And if you ever want to talk shop, get a recommendation, or just swap stories, you know where to find me. Happy reading.