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Nemesis Rising
Sam was a middle school history teacher until the day he was framed and arrested for the murder of his fiancée. His a lifetime in Zynum Prison. The year is 2045, and the criminal justice system has undergone a massive overhaul. The death penalty has been overturned, but in exchange, top-tier criminals serve life sentences in the infamous Zynum Prison. Walled off and domed, the now-dilapidated city has no guards and no cells. Prisoners are dropped in from the dome's top and forgotten as they scramble for food and resource, all the while keeping their own numbers managed through brutality, violence, and factioning.
Forced to adapt or die amid the warring clans inside the prison, Sam struggles with the ultimate Will the prison transform him into someone capable of horrific choices and cutthroat tactics or will he maintain his humanity?
Forced to adapt or die amid the warring clans inside the prison, Sam struggles with the ultimate Will the prison transform him into someone capable of horrific choices and cutthroat tactics or will he maintain his humanity?
269 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 24, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 28, 2024
Nemesis Rising is a thrilling dive into a dystopian world where justice has taken a dark turn. Sam's story is a gripping exploration of survival and morality in the face of extreme circumstances. The world-building is exceptional, painting a vivid picture of Zynum Prison and its brutal realities.
The characters are complex and compelling, especially Sam, whose journey from a middle school history teacher to a hardened survivor is both heartbreaking and inspiring. The dynamics between the factions within the prison add layers of tension and intrigue, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
The writing is sharp and evocative, pulling you into the story from the first page and not letting go until the final word. The themes of humanity, morality, and the nature of justice are thought-provoking and resonate long after you've finished reading.
Overall, Nemesis Rising reminded me a bit of the movie “No Escape,” a gripping tale of a convicted murderer who is dumped and left to die on an island prison inhabited by warring camps of convicts. However, Nemesis Rising outshines “No Escape” with its dystopian setting and the psychological themes of human justice explored through the eyes of Sam.
I highly recommend you read Nemesis Rising!
The characters are complex and compelling, especially Sam, whose journey from a middle school history teacher to a hardened survivor is both heartbreaking and inspiring. The dynamics between the factions within the prison add layers of tension and intrigue, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
The writing is sharp and evocative, pulling you into the story from the first page and not letting go until the final word. The themes of humanity, morality, and the nature of justice are thought-provoking and resonate long after you've finished reading.
Overall, Nemesis Rising reminded me a bit of the movie “No Escape,” a gripping tale of a convicted murderer who is dumped and left to die on an island prison inhabited by warring camps of convicts. However, Nemesis Rising outshines “No Escape” with its dystopian setting and the psychological themes of human justice explored through the eyes of Sam.
I highly recommend you read Nemesis Rising!
August 23, 2026
Nemesis Rising presents a compelling dystopian premise built around wrongful conviction, survival, and the struggle to preserve one’s humanity. Sam’s transformation from middle school history teacher to an inmate abandoned inside the brutal Zynum Prison creates an immediate contrast, particularly as the prison’s lawless environment forces its inhabitants to survive through violence, alliances, and ruthless competition.
The futuristic prison system adds an interesting layer to the story, raising questions about justice, punishment, and what prolonged exposure to brutality can do to an otherwise ordinary person. Sam’s central dilemma whether survival requires him to become the very kind of person he once could not have imagined being provides the novel with its strongest emotional and moral tension.
The futuristic prison system adds an interesting layer to the story, raising questions about justice, punishment, and what prolonged exposure to brutality can do to an otherwise ordinary person. Sam’s central dilemma whether survival requires him to become the very kind of person he once could not have imagined being provides the novel with its strongest emotional and moral tension.
March 26, 2026
With Nemesis Rising, Adam Golob takes us inside an alternate, dystopian, science-fiction world where the protagonist, Sam Anderson, gets railroaded for a crime he did not commit, winding up in the notorious open-air prison known as Zynum. Golob cleverly reminds us that rebellion and authority can arise even from a society of criminals, and in many ways, we get to see that the machinations and struggles of life in this hellish penal colony reflect, in many ways, the way we treat each other in the real world.
Sam is a history teacher and is engaged to Megan. After Megan is found dead, he is accused of the crime, convicted, and shipped off to Zynum, a nightmarish prison dystopia inside a domed penal colony where Sam gets a sober reality check:
Prisoner JY7114, you are hereby sentenced to life in Zynum Prison, a fitting place to endure your punishment for the murder of which you were found guilty. You are to be provided with this supply packet… May God have mercy on you in there… Not that He will.
Sam has been wrongly convicted, and as the narrative pushes forward, we move between sections labelled “Now” and “Then,” which serve to separate the flashbacks about his earlier life with Megan from the ongoing prison narrative.
But survival is now his first priority.
Unlike a traditional prison, there are no guards or cells inside; inmates must survive in the ruins of a decaying city where violence, scarcity, and tribal power structures dominate. Sam luckily falls in with a “clan” led by Victoria, consisting of some fairly decent people. Here, Sam begins to realize that there are some pretty complex reasons why people end up imprisoned or discarded:
A sad smile made its way across his face to hide the pain. His words were cold, but his delivery and expressions made it clear that the ‘passion’ in his crime was real. Here I was working alongside a murderer, and all I could do was feel sorry for the big lug. Clearly, he was lacking a bit in education and a bit more in IQ, but he seemed like a nice enough guy. I had a hard time seeing him as a mean drunk capable of killing his own wife.
In the “Then” sections, we discover what happened to Megan, who was being harassed by a powerful prosecutor named Perry Langston. It was Langston who framed Sam, so brazenly, in fact, that when Sam is sent away, Langston remarks disgustingly: “Next time you might want to share…”
While Victoria is worried about fighting back against the brutal leader of the penal colony, known as “Deathgrip,” Sam has come to the conclusion that sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option for him: “When I stepped from that ledge and made the decision to keep living no matter what, I started to lose Sam.” He rallies his troops with inspirational speeches:
Soon, the king will fall, and his army will be eradicated for their heinous actions. Our new Zynum will rise from the ashes of this war and reign brightly in this dim world!
In the end, Nemesis Rising is less of a traditional prison thriller than a reflection on how injustice can reshape a person’s sense of self. Sam’s trauma has pushed him to the point where victimhood is no longer an option. He evolves into a character who is not only more mythic and revolutionary but considerably darker, and I like that the author addresses this. Forged in the crucible of Zynum, Sam now possesses a ruthless clarity of vision, seeing the prison world as a reflection of his own corrupt society.
I really appreciated how Golob painted a prison that is more or less a mirror of the world we live in, and I really respect the choice he made regarding Sam’s agency and his final decision to act. Thus, Nemesis Rising turns out to be a taut sci-fi thriller with both a heart and a message, which is something quite a few of us could benefit from right now.
Sam is a history teacher and is engaged to Megan. After Megan is found dead, he is accused of the crime, convicted, and shipped off to Zynum, a nightmarish prison dystopia inside a domed penal colony where Sam gets a sober reality check:
Prisoner JY7114, you are hereby sentenced to life in Zynum Prison, a fitting place to endure your punishment for the murder of which you were found guilty. You are to be provided with this supply packet… May God have mercy on you in there… Not that He will.
Sam has been wrongly convicted, and as the narrative pushes forward, we move between sections labelled “Now” and “Then,” which serve to separate the flashbacks about his earlier life with Megan from the ongoing prison narrative.
But survival is now his first priority.
Unlike a traditional prison, there are no guards or cells inside; inmates must survive in the ruins of a decaying city where violence, scarcity, and tribal power structures dominate. Sam luckily falls in with a “clan” led by Victoria, consisting of some fairly decent people. Here, Sam begins to realize that there are some pretty complex reasons why people end up imprisoned or discarded:
A sad smile made its way across his face to hide the pain. His words were cold, but his delivery and expressions made it clear that the ‘passion’ in his crime was real. Here I was working alongside a murderer, and all I could do was feel sorry for the big lug. Clearly, he was lacking a bit in education and a bit more in IQ, but he seemed like a nice enough guy. I had a hard time seeing him as a mean drunk capable of killing his own wife.
In the “Then” sections, we discover what happened to Megan, who was being harassed by a powerful prosecutor named Perry Langston. It was Langston who framed Sam, so brazenly, in fact, that when Sam is sent away, Langston remarks disgustingly: “Next time you might want to share…”
While Victoria is worried about fighting back against the brutal leader of the penal colony, known as “Deathgrip,” Sam has come to the conclusion that sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option for him: “When I stepped from that ledge and made the decision to keep living no matter what, I started to lose Sam.” He rallies his troops with inspirational speeches:
Soon, the king will fall, and his army will be eradicated for their heinous actions. Our new Zynum will rise from the ashes of this war and reign brightly in this dim world!
In the end, Nemesis Rising is less of a traditional prison thriller than a reflection on how injustice can reshape a person’s sense of self. Sam’s trauma has pushed him to the point where victimhood is no longer an option. He evolves into a character who is not only more mythic and revolutionary but considerably darker, and I like that the author addresses this. Forged in the crucible of Zynum, Sam now possesses a ruthless clarity of vision, seeing the prison world as a reflection of his own corrupt society.
I really appreciated how Golob painted a prison that is more or less a mirror of the world we live in, and I really respect the choice he made regarding Sam’s agency and his final decision to act. Thus, Nemesis Rising turns out to be a taut sci-fi thriller with both a heart and a message, which is something quite a few of us could benefit from right now.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews