The novel follows Ralph, a humble Kansas corndog maker whose small-town shop provides honest work but not enough income to stay afloat. When his wife, Phyllis, becomes determined to escape the grind, the couple is lured into the Dollartorium, a self-help empire run by the charismatic—and suspiciously reptilian—Money Master. Promising success through predatory business practices and entrepreneurial delusion, the Dollartorium quickly becomes a surreal training ground for Ralph’s descent into late-stage capitalist chaos.
Through humor and fabulism, Dollartorium exposes the absurdities of contemporary business culture while celebrating dignity, community, and the quiet power of honest labor. As Ralph stumbles through corruption, collapse, and his own crisis of purpose, it’s his daughter Stella who ultimately points him back toward what matters most.
Ron Pullins, whose work has appeared in Southwest Review, Shenandoah, Typishly, and more, brings his award-winning voice to a novel that is both timely and timeless.
Dollartorium is available through independent bookstores nationwide and through Unsolicited Press.
