LitRPG (Literary Role Playing Game) is a genre that mixes science fiction, fantasy, and online role playing video games. A LitRPG novel follows a protagonist or hero as he or she embarks on a quest or challenge within an online game. While at first glance, this genre may seem very similar to a science fiction or fantasy novel, what makes LitRPG stand out from these genres is its incorporation of video game-like quests, statistics, and challenges. In Literary Role Playing Game novels, readers encounter a combination of standard elements of traditional writing as well as elements unique to gaming.
History
While it might seem to be a relatively new genre, LitRPG novels have actually existed for decades before the term LitRPG was coined mostly through Korean fanfiction. Any novel that mixes any aspect of the real world with elements only found in video games can be considered LitRPG. However, the term LitRPG was not used until around 2010, when The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor, a Korean novel by Heesung NAM, was translated to Russian, published, and sold over 1 million copies.
The success of The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor led Russian publisher EKSMO, established in 1991, to coin the term LitRPG, birthing a worldwide interest in these novels that continues to this day. Thanks to Russian and Japanese influences, Russian LitRPG novels are translated to English. This genre is continuing to grow.
Here are some of the main characteristics of novels in the Literary Role Playing Game genre:
Game-like Setting
Typically, in Literary Role Playing Games, the story takes place in an online world, virtual reality, or a universe in which gaming features are incorporated and commonplace. For instance, a character might have multiple lives or a status bar, or they may have specific stats that are attributed to their character. Even if the story is set within the real world, there will be aspects of the setting that normalize special abilities, items, or features that are typically only seen in video games.
There are countless different ways in which the video game elements can be intertwined in the story. Sometimes a character finds himself trapped within a video game, and he has to navigate his new surroundings, like in Chris Van Allsburg’s Jumanji. Other times, the characters live in an established universe where sorcery, magic, or other science fiction or fantasy elements are the norm. Whether the story involves these features, or more traditional video game elements, the setting is a crucial part of this genre.
Character Progression
A character’s progress throughout the novels must be measured or marked in some way. Instead of following a traditional story arc or plot structure, one of the most common ways that LitRPG shows progression throughout the novel is through the use of quests and achievements. Characters will set out on a specific, overarching quest, but they will also attempt to accomplish goals along the way. These quests are typically central to the main goal and integral to both the character’s and the story’s development.
Through accomplishing a series of quests, the hero should be able to resolve his or her conflict. The character might have to reach certain checkpoints or levels in order to obtain an object which they desperately want or need. If the character is stuck in a virtual world, they may have to solve a series of levels or fulfill a specific quest in order to return home. In LitRPG novels, characters are aware of certain challenges and achievements they must overcome or achieve in order to survive or reach their goal.
One feature that is a hallmark of the genre are notifications or messages. As a character attempts a challenge or tries to unlock an item or skill, there will be a pop-up or message giving them instructions or details about the action they are trying to take or the quest on which they are about to embark. Additionally, as these characters gain experience, level-up, or achieve goals, they receive notifications detailing their progress.
Skills and Abilities
Characters in books within the LitRPG genre often have or acquire video game-like skills and abilities throughout the course of the novel. Some characters live in a normal world, but they are able to yield weapons, use magic or otherwise operate in a way that is typically unique to video games.
Sometimes characters do not have any special skills until they enter a video game or an online world, like in Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One. Once they enter their virtual reality, they can then use skills, powerups, potions, or upgrades to improve themselves as a character. While these characters often experience natural, personal growth throughout the course of the novel, they usually can also improve their skills and abilities as well.
Popular LitRPG Novels
While the term LitRPG has been around for less than a decade, there are several LitRPG novels interested readers can choose from. Here are three of the most popular and best-selling LitRPG books of all time.
The most popular LitRPG novel is the book that helped start the genre in the first place: The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor by Heesung NAM. This novel tells the story of a man named Lee Hyun who suffers from crippling debt. In order to appease debt-collectors and make money, he sells his gaming avatar for millions of dollars, only to be left in financial hardship after paying off his debts. He then takes on a series of quests in the hopes that his achievements will help him earn the money he needs to help his family.
Recently turned into a highly-successful movie, Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One is another best-selling LitRPG novel. This novel follows Wade Watts as he tries to find an Easter egg in a virtual reality game. This Easter egg, placed in the game by the game’s creator, will allow the person who found it to take charge of the virtuality reality game and acquire the creator’s wealth.
Tad Williams’ Otherland is one of the earlier novels within the LitRPG genre. This novel takes place in a dystopian future where people from the real world can log into “The Net,” an online world where anyone can be anyone they want. This novel was turned into a video game in 2016, a remains popular among LitRPG fans.
Here are other examples of LitRPG novels.
Who Should Read LitRPG?
LitRPG is great for anyone who loves video games or books where the protagonist has to face multiple challenges. With LitRPG novels, readers get narration, thoughts, and feelings from characters as they watch them go through a virtual world or video game-like scenarios.
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