Heather’s Bookshelf: Ultimart
Author: Carl Wilhoyte
Released: 04/23/25
Genre: Dystopian SciFi
“I want the Dome to know Borson Scaggs was alive. That he was my dad, and maybe not a perfect dad, but that he was mine and he tried to love me the best he could. We all succeed and fail the same way as our fathers, and I wanted to be forgiven for all my stupid mistakes, all the pointless insults I threw at him, how good I felt when I broke down his will. He tried to love me the best he could and I couldn’t see it. I was selfish and stupid. He deserves better than this.”
“Ultimart” introduces Corwin Scaggs, a young father, husband, and low-level AI advertising employee who lives in the Ultimart Dome.
Almost everything in the dome is artificial- the grass, the sun, the sense of security. Living on the brink of bankruptcy which would ultimately result in giving up his son and a place amongst the rest of the unfortunate in the underground factories.
He’s okay enough with going through the motions to survive until his father suffers a sudden stroke. Faced with inability to pay the insane prices to keep him alive, Corwin turns to a dangerous woman and a risky plan. Ultimately unsuccessful and eventually fired, Corwin takes measures to change his situation. One must be careful what they wish for…
Trigger Warning: adult language, sexual situations, murder, mass murder, workplace violence, kidnapping, reference to miscarriage
Overall, I was a bit torn on this one. If there was one word to describe this story, it would be bleak. From page 1, it’s a story surrounding a man who’s miserable with every aspect of his life. He hates where he lives, he hates his job, he hates what’s come of his hyper-active kid, he hates all of it. I’m not saying he doesn’t have a reason to feel as he does- the world he’s living in is pretty terrible and it’s close to impossible for those trying to make their lives better. There are some extremely dark events that occur in this book and odds are at least one will be quite upsetting for pretty much everyone reading. The author does a fantastic job at world building and though sometimes a bit drawn out, I could see and feel this world that Corwin is living in. This futuristic world makes reference to many things from the past (our current present) but the references are inconsistent throughout the story. For example, at one point in the story it references not knowing what China is and then later makes reference to Asia and then China. There’s another reference to Corwin getting punched in the gut and then having a sore neck. I found the portion with Corwin’s father to be the most relatable and while sad, one of the only portions with at least a hint of hope. The last section of the story is interesting in both the setting and the result. Without giving anything away, I thought it remained true to the rest of the tale and also provided a sense of resolution for the protagonist.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A dystopian tale that focuses on the bleak and never really pulls out of it, providing clear and defined world building.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Carl Wilhoyte
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Find it for purchase here
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