JAM's Insane Fic Recs

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (give or take)
By: merryish

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Genre: Humour, mission, first time
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Rating: R

Summary: There's a vast ocean surrounding the lost city of Atlantis...and we can go there.

Review: Hoo boy. Funny fic. Very funny fic. The banter was spot on, the premise of the story very nicely thought out indeed, and both John and Rodney were positively gleeful at the prospect of getting to play.

And I was positively gleeful on reading this story.

( An excerpt )

Environmental Controls
By: Kalimyre

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Genre: Pre-slash, hurt comfort, angst
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Rating: PG-13

Summary: McKay is cold.

Review: If there's one thing that the SG:A fandom does well - as opposed to terribly unconvincing non-con, which it does exceedingly badly - it's stories that stand proudly on the fluffy side of the street. There's a hell of a lot of entertaining, frothy, wonderfully snarky slash out there and a lot of it is a joy to read.

This series starts off as a tag to Hot Zone, when Rodney, who can't sleep, ends up in John's quarters claiming that the environmental controls in his room aren't working. And thus, pre-slash is born.

On the surface, it seems a fairly traditional pre-slash moving to slash story, set around a single premise - Rodney's claiming that his quarters are too cold and John playing along - with the recommended amount of angst and misunderstanding along the way, but it's still very satisfying. Kalimyre handles it all with a light touch, making it alternatively fun and frothy and just angsty enough, and it's a highly enjoyable read. The series just gets better as it goes along, and I'm rather sad that there won't be any more.

Clichés Work Best
By: elfkin

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Genre: Pre-slash, hurt comfort, angst
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Rating: PG-13

Summary: Ricocheting bullets, regrets, snarky inner Rodney POV and clichés

Review: A nice, enjoyable, slightly slashy but not excessively so piece of hurt comfort. It's got a very strong McKay narrative voice, which manages to capture McKay's inner McKayness and still makes him very sympathetic, and it also manages to capture a very strong John speaking voice, which makes it a joy. There's hurt, comfort, realisations, peril and rescue and it all makes me very happy.

The only downside is that it really could have used a beta to catch the typos - but maybe that's just the fact that typos (except my own :)) seem to leap out at me in flashing neon.

Enjoy.

Credentials
By: thegrrrl2002

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Genre: Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Rating: NC-17

Synopsis: Aliens got them drunk and made them dun sex. Hee!

Review: Snarky, funny, sexy and very, very drunk. Sums up this fic and McKay and Sheppard both. I love Sheppard's slow realisation of what happened, and McKay's utter confusion and misreading of the situation. And the exchanges between the two of them are a joy.

Holding Out for a Hero
By: nel_ani

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Genre: Songvid, slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Rating: n/a

Synopsis: Songvid.

Review: This might be the first Atlantis songvid, and I hope it sparks some more. The pacing is good, the images well selected and the song - Holding Out for a Hero by Frou Frou, is just perfect for McKay.

I'm going to be watching this one a lot.

Mornings After
By: Little Red

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Genre: Het
Pairing: John Sheppard/Elizabeth Weir
Rating: PG-13

Synopsis: He doesn't usually sleep well the night after a mission.

Review: Yes, I am still mired in the depths of ff.net, looking for Sheppard/McKay fanfiction, but in the meantime I bring you this - Sheppard/Weir. It's very well written, showing a more serious side of both John and Elizabeth, and was written after the first episode and therefore captures what could have been rather than what I think is. It's a nice look into what it's like to be the leader or the soldier, though, and there's a gentle subtlety to it that I liked. Hence the rec.

Midnight Showing
By: A.j.

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Genre: Gen
Characters: John Sheppard, Elizabeth Weir friendship fic
Rating: PG

Synopsis: He knew it was coming. He just didn't think it'd be over bad horror. Elizabeth and John discuss the events of Suspicion.

Review: Good, solid characterisation, even if Elizabeth does come off as being more self-aware in the story than she does on the show. It's an interesting premise, and does get to the heart of who John is and why he trusted Teyla the way he did. Some nice bonding moments, and some nice trading of snark. It casts the relationship between the characters as closer than I see it on the show, and with a sibling vibe that I just don't see, but it's sufficiently well written for me to overlook it.

And you know it's got to be worth reading if I'm reccing an Atlantis story with no McKay in it.

Magnetic North
By: kageygirl

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Genre: Pre-slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Rating: G

Synopsis: Utility is in the eye of the beholder.

Review: Just a short and warm little Rodney introspective, set after Childhood's End. This is McKay at his most insecure, and his most endearing, and for once Sheppard goes for subtlety and not snark. Lovely little character details, and I love the closing few lines because they are so Rodney.

Fifteen Minutes
By: Kylie Lee

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Pre-slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Rating: PG-13

Summary: All McKay wants is fifteen minutes. All Sheppard wants is McKay, but McKay's playing hard to get.

Review: I seem to be using the words 'sweet' and 'snarky' a lot when review Sheppard/McKay fics, but it sums up their relationship for me and therefore most of what I rec as well. This one is no exception. Again the voices are close to those of the characters on the show, and the banter is there in spades, as is John's charm and wilful obliviousness to McKay's frustration. It's nice, however, to see a story where John's not the one who holds all of the cards, and that shows that McKay is perfectly capable of playing a hand or two of his own.

The Balcony Sessions
By: Leah

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Pre-Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Rating: PG-13

Synopsis: Some confessions and a whole lot of misunderstandings.

Review: Another fic I first found on Area 52, which has grown into a series. I don't know whether it's because it's a new fandom, and there aren't many people writing the pairing at the moment, but most of the fic on Area 52 is at least readable. I fully expect that to change, unfortunately.

I liked these stories. Not a lot happens, but the characterisations are well drawn, and the first part at least is written with a very strong John voice. The slash element isn't overstated, but very subtle, and it's the better for it. Mostly it could be seen as friendship, and I do think that John and Rodney are approaching being friends, partly because I suspect that John would get on with most people, and partly because he seems to get Rodney in a way that so few people do, seeing him as slightly more than just a pain in the ass. As someone who sees McKay as a lot more than a pain in the ass, this interaction makes me happy.

This series is sweet and well-written and worth checking out, and I hope there is more of it to come.

New Parameters
By: The Grrl

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Slash
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Rating: NC-17

Synopsis: Rodney and John, snarky, sarky and sweet.

Review: I've tended away from Stargate fanfic for a while, but I have rediscovered my love of the Universe through the new show and my ongoing love for McKay. And I have to say, much as I love him with Sam, he's even better with Sheppard, who seems to get him in the way that Sam can't and isn't phased or irritated by him. In short, John throws the snark back, understanding what's underneath it, and rolls with the verbal punches, and The Grrl captures their banter wonderfully here. This is the way I can see a relationship between the two of them - both covering up their fears with sarcasm; Rodney's all bitter vitriol, John's half ironic and self-deprecating, and all the while watching the reaction closely.

I am so loving this show! Enough to even venture into Area 52 in search of some fic.

Naked Patrol
By: zillah

Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Rating: PG
Genre: Humour, romance

Synopsis: Daniel has a secret admirer.

Review: Sporfle. This one made me chuckle. Love Sam. Love Teal'c and his mouse ears. Love the comic strips.

Meeting of Minds
By: SEF

Type: Gen
Rating: PG13
Genre: Action, mission, alien contact

Synopsis: Following Daniel's descension, the SGC receives an unexpected communication from the Gadmeer - the alien race whose lifeboat ship appeared in Scorched Earth. But why are the Asgard so concerned about this meeting?

Review: A deeply satisfying mission fic, unusual in being told from Sam's POV. But Sam in this is a joy - she's a strong character and yet still human. I love her take on Jack, Daniel and Teal'c, particularly Daniel, and this fic shows the effect that Daniel's ascension and subsequent return had on her and the rest of SG1. The writing is nice and fluid, the Gadmeer are intriguing and the world building and revelations about the Gadmeer are complex, rich and satisfying while still being intriguing enough to leave me wanting more. This is SEF's first SG1 fic and I look forward to seeing more.

Crescent Moon Lodge
By: Anais

Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Rating: NC17
Genre: PWP, established relationship, some light bondage.

Synopsis: Daniel has a rendezvous at Crescent Moon Lodge.

Review: I can't believe I haven't gotten around to reccing this one yet. Anais calls it 'good old fashioned smut' and she's right. It's hotter than hell; sweaty, dirty, wonderful smut but it's more than that. This isn't just any two guys, this is Jack and Daniel with history, pissiness and love all wrapped up into one delectable package. They snarl and bite and fight and fuck and love each other and it's intensely satisfying.

Go read.

System of a Down
By: Maayan

Type: Some slash overtones
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Rating: R
Genre: Angst, reflection, Season 7

Synopsis: This is as far down as Daniel Jackson is going to fall. Season 7, Daniel descends fic.

Review: I liked this one, obviously, and it's a pity I only found it when I was clearing out my inbox of all those fics I haven't read - I'd missed it for three weeks because so much Stargate fic is simply bad. The narrative style is unusual but fluid, and the characterisations are nicely drawn. This is the family as team, with all that that implies, although it's told from Jack's POV mainly. Not much really happens, which is odd given the subject matter, but it's still an intriguing read. I did wonder, however, whether the story would have worked as well without the interest provided by the unusual narrative structure and I suspect not. However, it's still streets ahead of many, many, many other Stargate fics.

Coyote at Starbucks
By: Amperage

Type: Pre-slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Rating: PG
Genre: Relationship, friendship, season 6.

Synopsis: Why Coyote loves Badger, why Badger stays with Coyote, and why Daniel Descended.

Review: I love this story. It may not be to everyone's taste, but I am simply happy when I read it. Through taking to some of the archetypes from Native American folktales, most notably Coyote, the Trickster, Daniel comes to a gradual understanding of his place in the world and what he's left behind. It's gentle, very smoothly written and moving in places, with a strong cast of vibrant characters who suck you in. And it is that rare beastie in Stargate fanfiction - something out of the ordinary but still captures the spirit of SG1, even if Daniel is the only SG1 character in it. In short, it's all about learning more about the characters of SG1 through the exploration of other cultures.

Little Things
By: Anais

Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Relationship, angst.

Synopsis: Jack and Daniel's relationship is put under pressure when the policy of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' fails within the SGC, with deadly consequences.

Review: Anais handles angst and relationship driven stories with the same sure and deft hand as she handles comedy. Her Jack and Daniel ring true and are complex, complicated men rather than cardboard cut-outs, with human reactions and human flaws. Consequently, although this story is angsty the angst is derived from a combination of external circumstances and both men's logical reactions to happenings, which differ because of their differing personality types. There's no 'fault' laying as is so often the case in stories of this ilk, and one character isn't canonised at the expense of the other.

The angst is drawn out slowly rather than being laid on with a trowel, and the angst isn't all there is. There are touches of humour, romance, layers of sorrow and understanding. And sex, of course, although that's depicted with the same care and flair as the rest of the threads that are drawn together in Anais skilfull hands.

Truth, Clarity
By: quercus

Type: Slash
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Rating: not rated - probably about a PG13
Genre: Relationship, romance.

Synopsis: Daniel and Jack come to understand each other better through translating and re-enacting ancient symbolic mudras.

Review: I wish I could summarise it better than I have above, but basically this is a lyrical piece charting the way that Jack and Daniel view each other, and how that view subtly changes as they come to know each other better through the intervention of something on an almost mystical level. It's a wonderfully evocative piece of writing, full of gentle introspection and subtle characterisation. Nothing much happens on the surface, but I love the undercurrents here, the ways in which Jack and Daniel interconnect without even realising. Teal'c and Sam are well drawn too, even if their role in this piece is of necessity limited. They're no less real, however, for the small part they play. This is all about Jack and Daniel and it makes me happy.

Mary, Mary, Marty and Me By Anais

Type Slash, Humour

Pairing Dan/Paul

Synopsis: With the Four Mary-Sues of the Apocalypse on rampage, it's up to Daniel Jackson and Major Paul Davis to save the day...

Review: Anais is starting to become the by-word in well-written surreal SG-1 humour. On a par with Dr Daniel Jackson's Diary in terms of quality and style of humour. So if that didn't raise a giggle - don't even try Mary, Mary, Marty and Me.

Without getting into an in-depth dissertation on the subject of "what is a 'Mary-Sue'" and the subsequent sub genre, which has sprung fully armed from the head of this invention of lazy writers the world over. Mary, Mary, Marty and Me is a classic. Effectively taking a scathing, hilarious swipe at fan fiction Mary-Sues and the most despised of all... CANON Mary-Sues.

The story leaves you laughing SO hard. It's satirical, it's thought provoking - it's what Wormhole X-Treme SHOULD have been like. None of the regular characters are twisted and distorted out of shape in the name of getting a laugh. And laughs you really do get, with situations and scenes moving from acutely surreal to grand-scale bizarre.

Want Teal'c taking his kel'no'reem on top of a speeding garbage truck? You got it.

Janet and Sam falling prey to the phantom colourist from hell? That too.

Defining the level and style of humour to be found in Mary, Mary, Marty and Me isn't easy. It's sort of a blend of Monty Python, Kids in the Hall and Red Dwarf delivered on speed. Well worth a look if you haven't read it before, and definitely a second if you already have and require a pick me up.

Wonderland
By: cgb

Type: Femslash
Pairing: Sam/Janet
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Vignette

Synopsis: They saved the world then and later it became a habit. Set in Season 6 and Season 1, Sam is injured and thinks about missed opportunities.

Review: I have to say that femslash isn't usually my thing, but I really liked this story. It's difficult to categorise why I liked it. There was a lyrical, almost whimsical quality about it and yet it never threatened to tip over into tweeness or sentimentality. The themes, such as they were, about missed opportunities and the strangeness of going through the wormhole, saving the world over and over again, were handled well and the analogy with Alice was clear without being annoyingly obvious and clumsily handled.

I liked it. 'Nuff said.