The Rift is the second story in the Bolingbrook Babbler storyverse by William Brinkman. Released 13th July 2022, it's 257 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.

Although it's not derivative, this gave me vibes of what would happen if you mixed X-Files and Roswell with a little bit of very dry Twin Peaks humor tossed in the mix. It's quirky and odd, but overall engagingly weird and a better than average read. Quite a *lot* of the plot turns on conspiracy theory and warring factions within the skeptical movement who are expending most of their efforts sniping at and scoring off of one another rather than trying to figure out what's really going on outside their sphere.

It's feminists vs. incels (more or less), and there's more mansplaining than readers can shake a stick at and it's not a good look for -anyone-. The author does a detailed and believable job of describing a convention experience to the smallest detail which was impressive. Most of the characters are superficially less than endearing and it took a while to really feel invested in the actual story. There is a redemption arc here, and there were some satisfying moments along the way.

I wonder if the author will wind up getting abuse from both the hardcore male-SF-puppy camp for including sympathetic and intelligent female characters as well as from long-time female SF fans for the nigh-continual redemption-of-Tom plot arc.

I was somewhere in the middle and enjoyed the book after it settled into the actual story.

Four stars. Engaging and well written.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The specific focus on skepticism produces interesting results, where the skeptical movement is juxtaposed with the reality of the paranormal. It’s delightfully absurd, but also hints at deeper interpretations. It implies a dilemma: do you side with the skeptics, who conceal the truth even as they fight for it, or do you speak the unbelievable truth? It explores, in a metaphorical way, the faults of the skeptical movement—something that can be quite difficult to talk about in a non-fictional context, if I do say so myself!


Nowhere are the faults of skepticism more apparent than in its dealings with feminism and social justice.

Many readers would know this history, but I explain it for the younger folks… in 2011 there was Elevatorgate. In a video, Rebecca Watson mentioned being propositioned in an elevator, and explained why this was a faux pas. For her remarks, Watson received death threats and harassment for a decade. Then some major figures in the movement were plausibly accused of sexual violence, SkepChick withdrew in protest from The Amazing Meeting, and all the rest.

In the years following the elevator incident at the beginning, he joins forces with MRAs, campaigning against the destructive influence of feminism. But one night, he’s attacked by a weredeer, precipitating a change of heart and opinion.

Although there are paranormal and sci-fi elements to the story, they mostly take a backseat. The focus is more on the rift in the skeptical movement than it is on the literal rift in spacetime.

There are a few issues inherent to the MC's point of view change. For one thing, it turns a naive clumsy guy into a hero, just because he learned to be less clumsy. But perhaps it’s less of a change arc and more of a wish fulfillment fantasy, where our wish is to persuade an Men's Rights Activist that he was wrong all along, and for feminism to win in the end. It seems rather optimistic and "naive".

I have never had an interest in the skeptical movement, and for those folks, It has a few too many characters to keep track of. It also come off as self-aggrandizing, in the way that it places the skeptical movement in a position of cosmic importance. So this book wasn't my cup of tea.

Five Stars for The Rift!

The Rift, is a wild adventure, sprinkled with humor, duplicitous characters, and extraterrestrials. You never know who is working for the good of mankind or creating a rift in the world.

The novel examines how people rationalize their behaviors. Each of the main characters is flawed. Anxieties and insecurities about the changing views of feminism, the skeptical movement, and desire for power are central themes

A well written and creative novel. Great character development. Five stars!

A quick, easy and interesting read that had good writing, a good storyline and well developed characters.

Tom grew up outside Chicago reading the Bolingbrook Babbler. Stories about UFO's and other strange stories keep his attention as he grew up. Then his parents told him the stories were all a lie. Until Tom discovered that was not true.