Decision at Thunder Rift
Decision at Thunder Rift is a novel by William H. Keith Jr. published in 1986. Plot summary. "Decision at Thunder Rift" is the first "BattleTech" novel. Publication history. Shannon Appelcine stated that by 1986, FASA "began creating a metaplot for "Battletech". At first this was just reflected in yearly updates: the "Battletech Technical Readout: 3025" (1986) was soon replaced by the "Battletech Technical Readout: 3026" (1987). However, FASA had simultaneously begun publishing fiction—starting with William H. Keith Jr.'s "Decision at Thunder Rift" (1986).