# Mom-Powered 'Dungeon Crawler Carl' Creator Shares Story > Erin Ampersand’s 'Apocalypse Parenting' series turns motherhood into a sci-fi survival game. - Title: Mom-Powered 'Dungeon Crawler Carl' Creator Shares Story - Summary: Erin Ampersand’s 'Apocalypse Parenting' series turns motherhood into a sci-fi survival game. A mom’s everyday parenting struggles become the hero’s journey… - Keywords: erin ampersand, apocalypse parenting, litrg, megan moretti, dungeon crawler carl, royal road, tor publishing, seattle, nfl, felicia day, engineer odyssey, litrpg - Source: Woman's World — https://womansworld.com/entertainment/books/love-dungeon-crawler-carl-read-apocalyse-parenting-next - Author: Ed Gross - Published: 2026-09-23T22:30:12+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: erin ampersand, apocalypse parenting, litrg, megan moretti, dungeon crawler carl, royal road, tor publishing, seattle, nfl, felicia day, engineer odyssey, litrpg ## Megan’s World Megan Moretti, a mom in suburban life, faces an alien invasion that turns Earth into a deadly game. > The end of the world begins in suburbia, and with one mom who still has kids to raise. ## LitRPG Genre LitRPG blends science fiction with role-playing game mechanics for character growth and survival. > Stories containing game-like elements and strong themes of growth. ## Megan’s Origin Ampersand wrote Megan’s story after years of feeling disconnected from her own writing process. > I spent decades trying to write books and misunderstanding my own process. ## Suburban Survival Megan uses household items to create weapons as children develop supernatural abilities. > They’re trying to fashion kitchen knives and broom handles into spears. ## Moms in Crisis Ampersand highlights marginalized groups like nursing home residents who gain abilities during the apocalypse. > Their osteoporosis was cured, their dementia was cured. ## Megan’s Growth Megan learns to trust her children and accept her flaws while navigating the apocalypse. > She is a lot more at peace with herself, and not because her flaws have disappeared. ## Dungeon Crawler Carl Matt Dinniman’s 'Dungeon Crawler Carl' is a popular LitRPG series with a male protagonist. > Dungeon Crawler Carl has become something much larger than author Matt Dinniman. ## From Royal Road Ampersand started writing on Royal Road in 2021, then self-published her first book. > I took that book down off Royal Road and self-published it on Amazon. ## Felicia Day’s Support Actress Felicia Day recommended Ampersand’s book to her agent, leading to traditional publishing. > I recommended your book to my agent, and she loved it. ## Engineer’s Odyssey A companion novel follows Megan’s husband on a cross-country mission to survive the apocalypse. > Vince and his four coworkers are in Colorado, trying to fight and MacGyver their way back to Alabama. ## Megan’s Realization Megan realizes her assumptions about others were often self-created judgments. > She assumed it was mutual, but eventually realized she was intimidated by this person. ## Writing Journey Ampersand’s writing process shifted from rigid planning to letting stories evolve naturally. > I failed to write so many novels in the past, and I started writing this after I’d done some world-building. ## Emotional Payoff Finishing the series brought Ampersand closure after years of creative struggle. > I’ve got the five books, and I’ve finished the story I’ve been dreaming of writing. ## Parenting as Heroism Ampersand argues that moms are often overlooked in adventure stories despite their everyday heroism. > I wanted to see somebody that I could relate to, and so I wrote it. ## Suburban Focus Unlike Dungeon Crawler Carl, this series keeps action grounded in real-world suburban life. > We’re not in some insane dungeon; we’re in a suburban neighborhood. ## Five Books Complete The five-book series is finished, with a companion novel expanding the story. > I believe strongly that you can have a good story and do just about anything, but you cannot have a great story without a great ending. ## Key takeaway A mom’s everyday parenting struggles become the hero’s journey in a post-apocalyptic world.