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Do Fimbulwinter and Champion for Hire really belong on here? They're both great, but they don't really fit the definition that is at the top.

I only suggested Fimbulwinter since Champion for Hire was already in the list, and I thought Fimbulwinter was way better. Realmborn may not fit either, though can't say for sure since it didn't interest me enough to read it.

Hm, it seems some people forget to read the books they themselves suggest for this list. Otherwise, i can't possibly imagine how they think books, no matter their greatness, have a place on this LitRPG list without having anything to do with virtual reality.

Fimbulwinter - MC gets transported to another world by a god
Champion for Hire - MC finds portal to fantasy worlds

I have read both, liked them quite a bit, nevertheless i seem to have missed any character menu, point distribution, skill list and similar components to virtual reality.

And i'm still wondering about some others. Arifureta has a character sheet, but its supposedly another reality which the whole class gets summoned to by the king and not a virtual reality.

On the other hand, if the name and description of a list doesn't matter and can be ignored, say the word and i'll start adding a few more books i liked. Lets see, starting with lord of the rings and perhaps a few Stargate novels. ;-)

Thanks a lot! This is very important. As I said earlier, we shouldn't be terribly strict otherwise we'd end up with too few books BUT the books absolutely have to be set in virtual reality, ideally in a game, because that's what LitRPG is, a novel set in a fictional game and obeying its rules.

I absolutely believe there will be more books to come, a lot more. This is a young genre that is just getting started. After all, you wouldn't find many translated books in the classic genres, we have plenty of books written in english already there.

Another hint is provided by the popularity that manga/anime shows with a similar background (played in a game, had a virtual reality, items had points and attributes, etc) got. Sword Art Online was one of the most popular anime the season it was shown.

So, there will be more books that fit this list, written in english as well as more translations in russian. BTW, how come we have that many russian translations anyway? Did something happen there?

Martink wrote: "BTW, how come we have that many russian translations anyway? Did something happen there? "

Yes, the thing was, the Russian publishers apparently saw the genre's potential and began to accept and publish quality manuscripts from LitRPG authors, raising the genre from amateur fan fiction to proper literature.

Andrei has the right of it.
Pretty sure the books just needs RPG-like character advancement over the course of the book. The Blue Boxes aren't necessary, nor the Virtual Reality setting.
It's an extremely open genre.
Snow Crash is a post-apocalyptic VR thriller published back in 92, before the internet really existed. If you want to think of it with an open mind, the MC does upgrade his gear a couple of times in the book.

Agree w/Bob. Thanks for recommendation, Snow Crash seems to be a definite classic so I've added it to my list.

Joe wrote: "Do Fimbulwinter and Champion for Hire really belong on here? They're both great, but they don't really fit the definition that is at the top."

no they don't

TBH i think that a lot of people who add books to lists etc have no idea what they are doing. or are just trying to promote a book they like. or in some cases are a shill account of the author. I see it more and more where lists are invaded by books that have nothing to do with that list. And the original list creater does nothing.

There should be a downvote option etc to get these books pushed at the min to the end of a list.

How is Armada on here but not Ender's Game...?

If you're pulled into an alternate world with Rpg rules, does that count? Even if the world isn't confirmed virtual / made of pixels (just a fantasy land with skills, health meters, and nomenclature based on MMOs)? I'm thinking of stuff like:

Shield Hero series
The Rising of the Shield Hero, Volume 1


and

Grimgar
Level 1ː A Whisper, an Aria, a Prayer, an Awakening


Maybe even something like Konosuba (I think that one is an actual game created by the gods though).



Edit: I added all the ones people consider game to life. None of these are big stretches to put in this category, but a few of them involve being sucked into books or alternate dimensions that have recognizable video game properties, and that characters comment on.

Terrence wrote: "If you're pulled into an alternate world with Rpg rules, does that count? Even if the world isn't confirmed virtual / made of pixels (just a fantasy land with skills, health meters, and nomenclatur..."

I'd say it's possible. Quite a few authors write this sort of thing. So yes, I think they deserve being included. Thank you!

You all are awesome. Thanks for this list!! I am always looking for good recs in this genre, please friend me =).

Annoyingly I can't add my LitRPG books to this list because I'm the author which is a bit frustrating!

Lindsey wrote: "You all are awesome. Thanks for this list!! I am always looking for good recs in this genre, please friend me =)."

Thanks, Lindsey! There're more good books coming out just now, I'll be adding them!

Lindsey wrote: "You all are awesome. Thanks for this list!! I am always looking for good recs in this genre, please friend me =)."

Thanks for your kind words, Lindsey, I too will let you know whenever I hear of new books.

Matthew wrote: "Annoyingly I can't add my LitRPG books to this list because I'm the author which is a bit frustrating!"

Matthew, if you send me the links to your books, I'll add them.

Desperate Times - A 49ers LitRPG Novel

Spetsnaz: A 4ers LitRPG Novel thanks Smilla!