latest update 01 March 2008

In a galaxy far, far away, there's this genius astrophysicist with Ph.D.s in snark and hypochondria and an Air Force pilot with superior flying skills, rebellious hair, and a somewhat...flexible level of respect for the chain of command. For me, the series is all about the banter; while I often find many of the plotlines and scripts to be logic-challenged, the characters are interesting enough — and the actors charismatic and talented enough — that I'll endure all the "whafu?" moments.

There are scores of amazingly fabulous writers generating terrific fic in SGA — lots of wonderful talents I've come to love from this fandom, and many old favorites from fandoms of yore. Assume all recommended stories are McKay/Sheppard unless marked otherwise.

I'm listing my recommendations from the SGA flashfic challenges separately, as they are so numerous. Also, I've listed some sites that I’ve enjoyed. (If one of these sites is yours, and you'd prefer that I not link to it, I apologize, and will be happy to remove said link if you just let me know.)

BTW, if you should chance upon some terrific stories that I've managed to overlook, please do drop me a line — I need all the help I can get with a) keeping up, and b) finding the good stuff.

New Additions
(recently added to this page, anyway; not exactly new any longer, for the most part...)

aesc
new
The Home Front - A terrific follow-up to ep 4x15, "Outcast." Her take on John rings perfectly true, and Rodney is in great voice here. Love the awkward, painful interaction between John and his brother. This is the coda that every John/Rodney fan wanted to see for this ep.

argosy
new
One Piece at a Time - Wonderful piece in which John gains a hobby and Rodney is almost stunningly clueless. Terrific writing style here, very clean and straightforward, and I adore her take on the characters.

cupidsbow
new
Class: Insecta - John has a few lingering after-effects from "Conversion," much though he might try to hide them. Interesting plot device and nice McKay/Sheppard interaction.

lavvyan
new
Disarmed and Unbalanced - John is so wonderfully inarticulate and completely inept at recognizing/dealing with emotion in this.

lamardeuse
new
Romance at the Roadkill Grill - A wonderful schmoopy wallow of an AU in which Rodney is a chef who is asked to help out an old, sick friend by taking care of his restaurant on an island in Maine, where John, of course, has recently taken over his late uncle's lobster boat.

leupagus
new
An Unorthodox Solution for Boredom - Hilarious take on Rodney's propensity for attracting every bit of trouble in the galaxy. Just a hoot.

maisierita
new
Forget Me Not - Long, interesting amnesia!fic with lots of plot and a satisfying ending. Gotta love cliches when they're done well, and this one is.

mirabile_dictu
new
I am Your Image Dressed As the World - How on earth did I miss this when it was first published? A beautifully atmospheric future fic in which Earth is presumed destroyed, Atlantis is failing, and John goes on the ultimate Hail Mary of a trip to save her. Gorgeous mood and feel to this piece, and just a delightful ending.

mmmchelle & the grrrl
new
A Mr. Toe Christmas - A sweet, feel-good Christmas fic that'll warm even the most Grinch-like of hearts.

rageprufrock
new
Post-Nuptial - Out-of-control, insanely funny. Everyone in this is just perfect. (And loved the shout-out to her crossover w/Eureka — hee!) In rather desperate need of a good grammar edit, but still a fun read.

sardonicsmiley
new
Situation Normal All Fucked Up - Don't know how I failed to recc this before now, as I love this look through Lorne's eyes at a kidnapped Sheppard and a McKay fiercely determined to do whatever it takes to get him back.

setissma
new
Wide Open Ocean - Another I should have recc'd long ago, this is an AU in which John & Rodney meet while working at an aquarium in Chicago. Nice relationship between the guys here, and both voices are well done.

toomuchplor
new
Static Interference - John's habit of tuning out Rodney's rants has some unexpected repercussions. Short but perfect.

Recs (a/k/a bickering with a side of snark, to go)

20thcenturyvole

• A House is Not a Home - A marvelous depiction of the weeks spent back on Earth in "The Return." I thought she did a great job with John's voice, with all the characterization, and especially with the pacing and structure of this. It's a lovely, satisfying read.

30toseoul

I enjoy her style of writing immensely; it is clean, understated, and uncluttered, and she just nails the voices in all the pieces I've read. I think all of her fic can be found here on the mckay_sheppard LJ comm. Also, make sure to read her Lorne/Parrish story, Unsingable Name, even if you don't normally read that pairing; I don't, but this fic just rocked my world.

AbylityMaren

• Woobies of Woe - Pretty much anti-kidfic, and flat-out hilarious. A young survivor of a Wraith culling gloms on to Rodney, and chaos ensues. I loved everyone dropping by just to check that he hadn't killed the kid, not to mention the accidental Bungee!Baby down the stairwell. Granted, it could have used a solid edit, but the story is so entertaining that I can overlook the occasional misspelling. (gen)

Aithine

She is equally good at feel-good smut with a large helping of humor ("Layover") and poignant angst ("Flight"). Go, read, see for yourself. Good stuff.

amireal

• Fractured Fairy Tales - Post-"Lost Boys," with a terrific Rodney POV. Nicely done, and thoroughly satisfying.

• Coping Mechanisms - An accident brings to the surface some feelings that John would have rather seen remain buried; avoidance — or at least an attempt at same — ensues. Wonderful characterization and genuine emotion throughout this story, which is fabulously long.

Auburn

• The Last Walk Home - Auburn wrote the for the "Worst-Case Scenario" challenge, so be warned; happy this isn't. But it is beautiful. John and Rodney, together when it all goes wrong. I loved the ominous mood of this.

• Sacrificial Drift - Exquisite and painful and satisfying and so beautifully written. This is a sequel to her The Taste of Apples, and it is a wonderfully paced and plotted fic with masterful voice and character all 'round. I loved the complexity of all of the characters in this; John and Rodney are just such a mess here, which is exactly how I would imagine them, given the events of Taste of Apples. She does a particularly terrific job with the supporting characters in this; no one is one-dimensional, no one acts or reacts exactly as might be expected, and everyone is therefore entirely human and believable. This is a great read — smart, subtle, and complicated.

• The Taste of Apples - An eerie, atmospheric piece with a fascinating concept at its core. The team stumbles across something completely and entirely alien during a trip through the gate, and the repercussions from this encounter are unprecedented — and permanent. I found this fascinating, and wonderfully insightful into each member of the team. I did think that there was one rather significant plot hole that bugged me for a few days, and found the ending woefully abrupt, but the sequel did ease some of that dissatisfaction (see "Sacrificial Drift" above); it's still an intriguing read that I definitely recommend. (pre-slash)

• Legion the Things I Would Give to Oblivion - Razor-sharp writing that is merciless in its clarity. Lest we forget, Atlantis is fighting a war. And in wartime, there are choices to be made, and there are casualties that follow — and there is living with the consequences afterwards. This one will leave you bleeding.

Barb G

• Entanglements - John winds up in a spot of trouble on an alien planet, and while Rodney's trying to help him out, who should show up but everyone's favorite bad guy, Kolya. And he is Not Happy. Lovely h/c in this, and wonderful portrayals of John at his toughest and Rodney at his most frantic.

barely_bean

• A Wish for Wings - Fair warning, it's an A/U for the Inappropriate Elf Challenge. That having been said, it's remarkably crack-free, and nicely dramatic and angsty; she does a great job portraying John's anger and fear. Short but memorable.

Basingstoke

• Neither an Ocelot Nor a Raccoon Be - John and Rodney, sitting in a tree...hiding from a not-lion/not-bear below. The banter, the team interaction, the images of smut to come — genius, I tell you.

• Do Not Use High Beams in Fog - Post-"Siege III," Rodney wants to break up, and John's clueless. Terrific voice and banter here.

• Ceasefire - Post-Siege III, Rodney and John both succumb to exhaustion. Concise and marvelous.

Bastet

• On Waking - A lovely bit of Sheppard/McKay closeness post-Siege. A first kiss and poisoned sabotage cookies — how can you not love that?

bibliotech & apple_pi

• Don't Panic (by bibliotech) and the sequel, Everyone Knew Her as Nancy (by apple_pi), are hilarious little pieces of fluff. It's post "The Return," and John is a little ticked that Atlantis threw them over so quickly for the returning Ancients; Atlantis knows this, and is trying to woo him back. Chaos ensues, especially when Rodney gets thrown into the mix.

boochicken

• Her Rodney's Bad Day is a lot of fun. Rodney gets turned into a vampire during a mission. (Whoops. *g*) Chaos ensues. Nice job with everyone's characterization in this; Rodney's voice is particularly well done.

Brighid

• Universal Gravitational Constant - John & Rodney back on Earth pre-"Intruder." Plenty of affection, just a touch of poignance, and of course, "...food and sex and bitching. It'd be a Rodney trifecta."

• Storming Castle Anthrax - I adore this post-"Hot Zone" snippet of Rodney and John in an established relationship. Hot baths, bickering, and Python; the perfect remedy for a really, really bad day.

• Referencing Gilbert Ryle - John and Rodney wind up sharing their bodies with the personality overlays of two former Ancients for a few days, and in the process, learn a few things about themselves and each other. Beautifully poignant and lyrical.

celli

• Another Word for Optimism - Rodney is in a good mood. And then not so much. Which leads to...complications.

Celli Lane

• Fireball - An A/U in which John is a NASCAR driver and Rodney, his car chief. Terrific incorporation of pretty much the entire SGA cast here, and all in roles that work very well. The author obviously did her research here; the technical details are accurate while remaining unobtrusive, and the race scenes are suspenseful and well-paced. A wonderful, long (yay!) read.

Crysothemis

• Ways to Die in the Pegasus Galaxy - John's been flirting with death a bit too often lately, and Rodney's having a hard time handling it. Nice John POV in this — first clueless, and then pining — and just a fun read all 'round.

cofax

• Windswept - An exquisitely quiet, introspective piece about Sheppard taking a walk through the city during his down time. Doesn't sound like much, I know, but there's great insight into Sheppard's character in this, and some beautiful writing. (gen)

coreopsis

• Bruises - John and Rodney, getting back together after the events of "Condemned." I loved the emotion and mood of this piece; it is just exquisite in its subtlety and sweetness.

• The Class of 2005 - This is a wonderful A/U that has the Atlantis team — brace yourself — in high school. Okay, stop laughing; it's actually a great read. (And that's coming from someone who generally has zero interest in the lives of any teenagers, whether in fic or reality.) It's in 8 parts with an epilogue, all linked from part one. I love the way she has brought elements of their canonical personalities to this series, appropriately age-regressed. She's a terrific writer, of course, and all of her SGA fic is worth a read.

cottontail

• As the Stars Fade Out is an interesting, well-plotted SGA/SG-1 crossover that gives good team — for both shows — good Rodney voice, and good McKay/Sheppard. An enjoyable read all round (aside from a few minor bits that could have used a final edit). I'd love to see more fic along these lines.

danvers

• Smug Bastard - Rodney is more than a little impressed with Ronon after "Condemned." John is more than a little jealous. Smut ensues. (And marvelous smut it is.)

• The Start Line - Ronon takes a closer look at John, Rodney, and Teyla while trying to decide if he wants to be part of the team. Great insight into all four characters in this piece. (gen)

• Five Ways That John and Rodney Meet on the Flip Side - danvers wrote 5 A/U universes for the boys. And they're more than a little nuts, but then, this is danvers, after all. SG-15 in particular achieves levels of insanity that must be experienced to be believed. Dixon! Ma hero! (Also, be sure to visit the LJ community for SG-15 to read the terrific fics in this universe written by other authors.)

Dasha

• Salt of the Earth - I love Dasha's ability to create entirely three-dimensional universes, full of color and detail and interesting asides that make the reader believe completely in the truth of these worlds. This is a long, character-focused piece that manages to include several interesting plots and subplots, but beyond that, it is a love story in the largest, most expansive sense of the word. The characters in this story love, need, and respect one another deeply — and I mean all of the characters: John, Rodney, Teyla, Ronon, Elizabeth, Carson, Radek, et al. — in full awareness of their flawed, messy, misunderstood, all-too-human natures. They screw up, they fall down, but they keep trying. This is a story about want and need and connection and family and home that works on so many levels, I just hated to see it end. And I found the ending to be immensely satisfying and entirely true to the characters. (My only caveat to this is that the stories really needed a more thorough edit to correct a number of noticeable homophones, tense changes, misspellings and grammatical errors.)

devildoll

• Junk Cheap - A funny, charming, thoroughly enjoyable A/U in which Rodney is a professor and John the owner of a junk shop. This was delightful.

• The Knights of the Pegasus Galaxy vs. the Chicken Pox - Her outtake from skoosiepants' 'Clubhouse' universe, and just as cracktastic as the original. Of course Ronon would still carry knives as a five-year-old.

dirty_diana

• Thirteen Days - Back from Atlantis, and at loose ends. There's a lovely sense of melancholy and disconnect to this, the sure and inescapable knowledge that they'll never be the same after Pegasus. (McKay/Sheppard/Weir)

ella_minnow

• Primum Mobile - Lovely understated use of language and imagery (and math!) in this WWII-era A/U done for the reel_sga LJ challenge. Beautifully written, and wonderfully poignant.

ficbyzee

• Where is Thy Victory - When everything is lost, you take your victories where you can. Painful and beautiful.

• Senses Reeled - Really, what the world needs is more sex pollen fic.

fiercelydreamed

• Unidentified - Beautifully written, smart, subtle A/U with a dead-on John voice and seamless inclusion of all the characters we know and love. A perfect example of how a good writer can make something fresh and new out of a fanfic plot staple. There’s also a lovely follow-up, Coda, with a wonderful sense of mood and terrific imagery.

friendshipper

• Long Road Home - A really original A/U set along the Texas-Mexico border that features great interaction between John, Rodney, and Teyla, as well as appearances by a few other familiar characters. (gen)

• Postcards to Jeannie is a terrific team-focused gen fic with a nice use of multimedia. Teyla and Jeannie start exchanging correspondence in the wake of "McKay and Mrs. Miller," with plenty of commentary from John, Rodney, and Ronon. (gen)

All of this author’s fic is truly excellent, BTW; she's one of my favorite gen writers in this (or any) fandom. Her SGA stories can be found at her web page, or at ff.net (the link is on her web page). (gen, on all fronts)

Frostfire

• Caffienated - Love this little snippet. Such great Rodney voice throughout.

Gale

• The Lending Library - Managing the porn collection on Atlantis. Hysterical.

Giddygeek

• Day Break - Groundhog Day on Atlantis. John and Rodney are completely in character throughout, bickering and flirting and just perfect. I'm so glad that giddygeek was the one to utilize this classic fanfic device in SGA, because this? This is the way to do it right.

The Grrrl

• Unanticipated Outcomes - A series of off-world adventures — and a little nudging by John — bring a few things to light for Rodney. Lovely long fic with plenty of wonderful interplay between John and Rodney, as in everything the grrrl writes. The intimacy between the guys is so well done, awkward and in-character and deeply felt.

• Post-"Condemned" ficlet - And the deluge of wonderful fic inspired by this ep continues with this excellent bit of hotness. John is trying to complete the endless paperwork following their off-world misadventure; Rodney is manifestly Not Helping.

• Make sure to visit the treasure trove that is her site; I'm particularly fond of "Two Weeks" and "We All Arrive by Different Streets."

• Exposed - a sweet-without-being-saccharine piece of John/Rodney togetherness from John's POV. Wonderful.

iamtheenemy

• The Games We Play - A cute little ficlet post-"The Game" in which the relationship between Rodney and John progresses through a series of chess matches. Adorkable.

Isis

• Double Occupancy - Oh, how I wish this had been the version of "Duet" filmed. Marvelous. (McKay/Sheppard)

James Walkswithwind

• I quite enjoyed her Alone in Your Mind series, despite my general lack of interest in threesomes and overall indifference to Carson. Interesting premise here, even if her take on the characters is a little different from my view of them. (Beckett/McKay/Sheppard)

Jane St. Clair

• Detox - A trippy, stream-of-consciousness depiction of McKay & Zelenka crashing after Siege. Marvelous language and imagery in this. (McKay/Zelenka)

jane_elliot

• Her Uncommon Beauty is a lovely, twisted take on Beauty and the Beast. She is a skilled writer, and she manages to leaven the general sense of fairytale otherwordliness of the piece with touches of very in-character humor and snarkiness from the folks we know and love. And I'd rec this for the length alone, as it is satisfyingly epic in scope. (Although I do have to quibble about the Russian thing in the story; if Rodney was familiar with Greek, Russian wouldn't even be a stretch. The alphabets are very similar, and ditto the grammar. But that's just me being obnoxious, because hello, can we say unimportant? [/asshattery])

janusglance

• I Feel the Earth Move - Long future!fic — very nicely written, with an interesting plot and solid characterization. A smart, enjoyable read. The ending is far from happy, but it is satisfying; given the circumstances, I don't see how it could have played out differently. (gen)

Jenn (seperis)

• what you can't leave behind, from her strangerverse. This is an amazing alternate universe, simultaneously heartbreaking and hopeful. I adore her John and Rodney in this world, both so terribly wounded and dependent upon one another in their grief. The imagery is particularly moving in this story; the thought of what Rodney was left with in the other Atlantis is gut-wrenching.

• Don't Tell - This story encapsulates everything I love about SGA. Genius.

• Something More - John left Atlantis behind, and Rodney Was Not Amused. He finally tracks John down to share with him the depth of his displeasure. A lovely long fic with sharp, painful edges — Rodney's rage is almost tangible. The working-towards-reconciliation is very well done. (There's also a short epilogue, Catch Your Breath, though I confess that I found it a tad sweet for my personal taste; but more resolution is never entirely a bad thing.)

• Instructional (part 1 and part 2) - The new additions to Atlantis are having a tough time settling in. Razor-edged humor and spot-on characterization here, especially for Sheppard. The only problem with great fic like this is that it emphasizes how truly lousy I find the scripts to be in comparison. (gen)

• Sleeper - Ford is gone and they're all reeling. This is a terrific piece from Rodney's POV; she really nails his voice beautifully, and everyone is completely in character. I did think it meandered a bit at the beginning, and could perhaps have been tightened up to two parts instead of three with a solid edit, but that's just me being picky; it's a great team fic that I enjoyed thoroughly. (gen)

julad

• Thicker than Water - Atlantis gets a ZPM and John and Rodney get shore leave back on Earth. julad gives great John POV here; both he and Rodney are completely in character, and her take on Rodney's family (Jeannie!) is very well done. As always in this author’s stories, all voices are perfect. (I often find julad's fic to be somewhat intellect-heavy and emotion-lite; in this case, I thought that sense of restraint worked to the story's advantage.)

• Absurdity Theory - Completely. Batshit. Insane. I don't know whether this is the result of a boatload of really good acid or near-terminal amounts of sleep deprivation, and I don't care; it's buckets-o’-crazy and absolutely hysterical. (McKay/Zelenka)

• The Secret Life of Scientists - The second story I read in this fandom, and it intrigued me enough to keep me reading. McKay and Zelenka get to know each other on arrival in Atlantis, and bond over their shared hatred of Kavanagh. I like her take on the science team in this, and she beautifully conveys the sense of desperation that would underlie the daily existence of an Atlantis cut off from Earth. (McKay/Zelenka)

justbreathe80

• Six Weeks (written for the sga_flashfic "phone call" challenge) is a wonderful take on the time spent on Earth during "The Return." The longing and regret shared by Rodney and John is very well done.

kageygirl

• Everything on her site. Start to finish, it's all terrific. My only complaint is that most of her stories are too darned short; they're so good that you just don't want them to end.

• Essentials - Missing scenes from "Siege III." Great John & Rodney interaction with all the affection, relief, and concern that were so desperately missing from the ep itself. (pre-slash)

• On the Cusp - John and Rodney react to all the close calls during "Intruder." Lovely bit of pre-slash closeness and friendship.

Kaneko

• Intersections - The individual vignettes here are fabulous; marvelous voice and back story for both John and Rodney, and wonderful dynamics for the two of them together. I love the comparisons and contrasts between their personalities and their histories. On first read, the overall work did seem to me to be more of a writing exercise than an actual piece of fiction; more a series of stand-alone scenes than a coherent story. On second read, however, the separate parts are so amazingly good that I'm able to ignore my feeble bleating about how much I'd like to see the disjointed sections form some sort of cohesive whole.

karen mcfadyyon

• Sadly, she has pulled her fic down from the web, so I'm afraid if you didn't read her lovely long stories while they were online, you're out of luck. I truly enjoyed all her stories, and found myself re-reading them often. I was sorry to see these removed from the net, and hope that they will make their way back online one of these days, as they are sorely missed.

kassrachel

• If I Knew You Were Coming - John decides to cheer Rodney up in the wake of Rod's visit. As always with these two, things don't work out quite as planned. Some nice John/Rodney interaction here.

koschka

• Her Geeks and Goons series is technically gen, albeit incredibly smarmy gen — but as a slash reader I found it thoroughly satisfying, as the focus is so strongly on the McKay & Sheppard friendship. She also does a marvelous job of including the supporting cast; Becket and Zelenka in particular steal the show. The stories are laugh-out-loud funny, smart, and often quite moving, and I re-read them regularly. (There are a couple of caveats to this recommendation: 1) The pieces are now only available on ff.net, which I loathe with the passion of a thousand fiery suns. 2) There are a bunch of minor grammatical errors that should have been caught by a decent editor/beta, but they are for the most part able to be overlooked. 3) I thought the hint of pre-slash in "Supergeek" was awkward and jarring, and prefer to pretend it never happened, as the rest of the series works so well for me as smarmy gen. I know, heresy for a slasher, but there it is. 4) John's voice and characterization don't really ring true for me in most of these stories, particularly the early ones; Rodney comes across as much closer to my view of him from canon. I tend to explain away all the OOC moments by looking on this series as an A/U, and it works well for me on that level.)

kylie lee

• Letters - Rodney's got more than a little repressed anger to work through in the wake of Chaya, and Heightmeyer encourages him to talk things through with John. Being Rodney, he does so in his own inimitable fashion. Wonderful Rodney POV here, and lots of great snark throughout. And it's an interesting leitmotif; though I'm not normally a fan of stylistic devices of this nature, she pulls it off nicely here.

• Science Geeks - McKay/Zelenka, and thoroughly wonderful.

Lallybroch

• Machinations (Of the Sheppard Kind) - Clueless John is just hilarious; she does a great job with his voice. And Radek's cameo is fabulous.

• Non videri sed esse - Rodney finally notices John's dog-in-the-manger act. Lallybroch writes John exceptionally well, IMO.

lamardeuse

• Her Getting to Know You series just got better with each post-ep ficlet, IMO.

Leah

• Male Enhancement (The Soul and the Company Store Remix) - John's a renegade AI who's gone off the grid and taken refuge with Rodney, who doesn't realize quite how unique his new "PlayFriend" truly is. Sounds like a cracked-out premise, but this is actually quite a moving tale that nicely incorporates this A/U storyline with canon, all in a lovely long story that I couldn't put down.

• Her Balcony Sessions stories were some of the first pieces I read in SGA, and I enjoyed them very much. Really, everything at her site is worth a read; her SG-15 and Pegasus B fics are laugh-out-loud funny. (Learn to embrace the gay penguin porn. It'll improve your world view.)

lierdumoa

• Shouldn't - Wonderful Sheppard voice in this; the Sheppard/McKay interaction is funny, snarky, angsty and not a little hot. In short, very them.

Liketheriver

• Triptych and its sequel, Steady State - Both of these are enjoyable trilogies featuring lots of John- and Rodney-whumping, friendship, and banter. The author is a solid storyteller; while all of her work desperately needs a touch-up by a great beta (or at the very least a better spellcheck), the plotlines, voice and characterization are strong enough that I'll look past the misspellings and homophones. The bickering is so entertaining that I'll even venture to ff.net to find her stuff, and greater love hath no fan. (gen)

lilysaid

• as lost as you get - A wonderfully original take on the conclusion of "Epiphany" that is so much more satisfying than that ep. Terrific characterization and voice in this.

Livia

• Operation Think of Atlantis - Ye olde fanfic staple, Aliens Made Them Do It. And it's Livia, so it's fantastic. To wit, Rodney's instant-classic query to John: "You've been ritually fake-fucked by an astrophysicist before?" Oh, the crack, how it burns...

lucitania (Mallory Klohn)

• One Leg at a Time has great banter and bickering, and I adored John's sessions with Heightmeyer. (I'm not quite as in love with this story as I am with this author's TS stories, which I worship — this seemed a bit overly deliberate, a little consciously clever in spots — but it was still a fun read.)

minnow1212

• The Internet is for... - You'll need to scroll down to about halfway through the entry to get to the fic (the title is at the end of a sentence, in bold). Fantastic John/Rodney interaction in this little piece.

• Fair - In this amazingly original story, John and Rodney met when they were children, and John had a secret. Years later on Atlantis, that secret comes to light. Wonderful use of language here (as always with this author), and I love the mood of this piece; young John & Rodney are particularly well done. Gorgeous from start to finish.

• The Internet is for... - You'll need to scroll down to about halfway through the LJ entry to get to the story (the title is at the end of a sentence, in bold). Fantastic John/Rodney interaction in this little ficlet.

• Face Value - Long and unbelievably lovely. Rodney touches an Ancient doohickey and Atlantis suddenly has a resident telepath. There is such insight into each and every one of the characters here; the portrayal of Rodney is terrifically realistic and three-dimensional, and his voice is absolutely spot-on throughout. I love the flashes of humor and the poignance in this. Her take on Zelenka is particularly wonderful, and the scene in which John shares some experiences with Rodney is gorgeous. She does an outstanding job of painting in all the little background details in this piece; I got such a strong sense of the city as this immense hive of activity, with tons of fascinating characters going about their lives. I really didn't want this to end.

• Necessary Things - Post-Siege III, and marvelous. Aching, yet hopeful. (gen)

• Seven Ways John Sheppard Goes Home - Painfully good. This one lingered for days. (gen)

Miss Pamela

• Her "Souvenirs" and "Once More, With Feeling" are just lovely. And a propos of precisely nothing, the design on her site is a hoot.

• Her Background Noise is exquisite. Wonderfully appropriate back stories for Rodney and John, and then their story together at Atlantis. (Click on the images to read each part of this fic.) She does a great job of mixing humor and angst, and she nails their voices cold. I would suggest reading Rodney first, followed by John, and then the two of them together; I found that order to work best for me, personally.

• She's got a terrific little Rodney/Radek fic here. I hesitate to use the word "adorable," but this really is.

mmmchelle

• In Defense of Honor - Laugh-out-loud hilarious. While her characterizations are always well done, everyone is especially wonderful in this piece. Lorne in particular made me giggle.

• Cross My Heart - Beautifully poignant short piece in which John and Rodney keep their relationship under wraps…but secrets have a way of making themselves known. Nice mood to this piece.

• The Handsome Physicist, the Hot Pilot, and the Evil Temptress - Post-"Inferno," John finally makes a move that not even Clueless!Rodney can miss. The bickering here is non-stop, which is always a good thing in my book.

• Bragging Rights - Post-"Condemned," Rodney and John continue their discussion of differences between Canada and the US. Lovely.

• Check out everything at her site; I'm particularly fond of "And Then the Aliens Made Us..." and "The Weight in My Hand."

• Code - Wonderfully affectionate banter-filled post-"Runner" fic. Truly adorable.

• Unreason - Scorching and poignant.

• Aqua Velva - Rodney makes lube. Hee! Actually, it's a lovely little outtake from the McKay/Sheppard relationship. I do so love the Aqua Velva cracks. (Yeah, John's that vain.)

mousewitchy

• Down to You - A smart, witty fic with an edge of angst. Her Jeannie is a well-drawn character, funny and tough and vulnerable. The start of this piece is particularly strong, with a wonderful backstory; I can so picture this household turning out the Rodney we know and love. She does a nice job with the OCs as well as the canonical characters – I liked the touches of humor throughout. And the dynamics between John and Rodney are beautifully done; the affection between them is clear, even when their interaction is complex and edgy and awkward. The story faltered a bit toward the end, but it was definitely worth the read, and I look forward to more from this author.

myinadequacy

• It's Not Citrus - Tongue-in-cheek absurdity that is just wrong on so very many levels (eww!), yet highly entertaining. Written for the What's Your Filling? ficathon.

Nataliadarimini

• Those Damn Amnesiac Blues - Rodney's not quite himself at the moment, but he's starting to figure things out. Fantastic voice and characterization in this piece; it was so good I wanted another 10,000 words.

nel

• Dramatis Personae - Aliens force John to...wear eyeliner and tight black leather. Oh, the horror! This is a lovely bit of first-time hotness in which the genuine emotion between Sheppard and McKay shines through beautifully.

• Her "Six Degrees of Transformation" and "As You Wish" are favorites of mine. All of her SGA stories are very well done, and they can all be found at her site, as can her fabulous vids.

nifra_idril

• Nifra has written an untitled ficlet that sums up exactly what I think would happen if John and Rodney made an attempt at phone/headset-sex. It's pathetic and hysterical and entirely un-sexy. Poor babies. *g*

nixa jane

• An Introduction to the Grapevine - Ronon is confused. Loved this outsider's take on the John/Rodney dynamic, and he's very much in character throughout.

notpoetry

• Campfire Law - The summer before college, Rodney the camp counselor meets John the lifeguard at Camp Atlantis. Homesick kids, campfires, and Scooby Doo Mysteries ensue. I love everyone in this A/U; John and Rodney are terrific, and Radek and Ronon made me laugh.

paradise_city

• (Don't Take Money) To Ride This Train - A Mensa A/U exploring how that universe's Sheppard was convinced to join the Atlantis expedition. Very funny.

pares

• Ophthalmology - It turns out that both Rodney and Ronon have lousy eyesight, and John finds himself a bit intrigued by Rodney in glasses. Well, okay, there's a bunch of other stuff that happens, too — this starts out all dangerous and plotty before turning into kind of a slice-of-life piece that's just oddly satisfying on a lot of levels.

quasar273

• Not sure how or why I failed to rec this when it first appeared, but Cross Product is a fun romp of a story involving quantum mirrors and dueling realities. Gotta love those clichés in action.

rageprufrock

• Her SGA/Eureka crossover 'verse — Summer House, Shore Leave, and Sabbatical, along with a couple snapshots here — is pretty much the funniest thing I've read in ages. You don't need to know much about Eureka to enjoy this, really; but if you're a fan, as I am, you'll love how she nails Jack Carter's voice and the whacked-out feel of that universe, while fitting in John and Rodney — and a few other surprise visitors — seamlessly. (gen for Eureka, John/Rodney for SGA)

• Hindsight - Crack!fic of the most unrepentant kind. This exuberant mess of an A/U was great fun to read, loaded with imagination and originality. I did find it occasionally problematic (the characterization struck me as alternately dead-on and wildly off-the-wall; the writing was brilliant but a little sloppy, in need of a brutal edit and smoother segues; and the canon and basic logistics were occasionally more than a bit off-base); but there is an energy to this author's writing that I find mesmerizing, and the dialogue here was pure genius. (I've come to the unavoidable conclusion that I'm a complete dialogue whore; if a story has the banter and the bickering down, I'm a happy camper, no matter what other problems may be present.) I'll read anything she writes just to see where she'll take me.

randomeliza

• Playing with Matches - A lighthearted version of "Cupid Takes a Holiday," done for the reel_sga LJ challenge. Total fluff, but good fun.

Resonant

• All her SGA fic is worth a read — make sure to visit her site.

• Advantage - During an off-world mission, the local populace hits Sheppard with an alien whammy that compels him to serve as slave to McKay — at least for a while. Much bickering ensues; leave it to John to be the galaxy's most passive-aggressive slave, and of course Rodney would give in to his worst impulses on the little stuff like ordering John to do his laundry. Beyond all the banter and the snark, though, there is a tremendous amount of genuine feeling here. She does a great job of conveying Rodney's growing sense of impending loss as things progress, and John is clearly a mess behind that battened-down facade. And as always, Res is wonderful at balancing humor and angst throughout. Highly enjoyable.

Rinsbane

• When Moored to the Sky - Okay, yes, it's wingfic, which generally leaves me cold — except when it's this well-written. Beautiful John voice here, and he, Rodney, and the whole cast are completely in character. Lovely piece.

rivier

• Exigencies - How far would you go to rescue a friend? Rivier reminds us of just how dangerous John can be here. Brilliant and pull-no-punches writing.

• Equate - Rodney muses on whatever the heck it is that he and John are doing together. One of the best Rodney voices I've read in this fandom, period. And required reading simply for this description of John and Rodney: "...and they'd sniggered helplessly together, the Beavis and Butt-head of the Pegasus Galaxy." Because, really, yes.

• End - I would have killed to have seen this filmed as the season 2 premier. Just perfect. (And the sequel, Bugs, is equally lovely.)

Sabine

• Not sure how I missed reccing The Pegasus Society until now — it's a lovely piece set post-Brotherhood, pre-Siege, that is full of math!porn, sentient Atlantis, and more than a hint of desperation. Beautifully done.

Salieri

• The Dangers of Chocolate... - A fun little bit of fluff involving John & Rodney & coffee & chocolate. And sentient!Atlantis to blame for it all, of course.

sardonicsmiley

• Five People John Sheppard Didn't Kill on P11-23R - I do so adore crazy-protective-John, and he's in rare form here when some off-world natives decide they want in-depth knowledge of Rodney's artificial gene. Love the different POVs, and the characterization is very well done for both guys.

scribblinlenore

I adore everything by this author; she's equally good at breaking your heart and at sending you into fits of the giggles (curse her). Her King of Bling will do the latter; it's an A/U in which John accidentally becomes the executive producer of the worst reality show evah. And Rodney, of course, is his least-favorite contestant. Oh, the crack, how it burns...

• 101 Ways to Get Lucky (In Love) - In which Rodney is a workaholic CEO who decides to look for a wife to improve his corporate image, and John is the world's worst relationship counselor. Terrific characterization and voice throughout, and very, very funny.

semivowel

• Where You Want to Be - Love the way she writes all of the SGA characters, especially John and Rodney. Nicely long and plotty, this is a treat from start to finish.

Shade

• Five Ways Colonel Marshal Sumner Died - Sumner's voice in all of these matches exactly the view I had of him from what little they gave us in the series, and she fleshes out his character beautifully. She mixes his actual canonical deaths in with an ep-we-never-saw, and also re-interprets episodes with him present; each section is wonderful in its own way. I actually got a little teary-eyed reading this, which is pretty amazing, given how little of Sumner we know from canon.

Shalott

• The Dark Side - Rodney is the universe's crankiest Jedi, sent — much to his dismay — to deal with a certain ticked-off Sith Lord. Some great lines in this, to wit: "Oh, not a chance," Rodney interrupted. "I am not saying Darth anything in the heat of passion. Tell me your name, not your pretentious call sign." Immensely entertaining.

• Loves Me Not - Clueless!Rodney and Pining!John — not always a scenario that works well, except when it does, which is the case here. The bickering is marvelous.

• Oblivious - This is just so much fun; the snark, the banter, the awkward emotion behind the humor...glorious.

• Proof by Contradiction - McKay and Sheppard fiddle with a device that winds up being the Ancient equivalent of Spanish Fly, and have to deal with the fallout. Rock-solid voice throughout, and I wallowed in the endless bitching. I love that she has Rodney coping far better than John, to wit, this little gem:

"Oh, please," McKay said. "We had embarrassing public sex. It's not a life-threatening condition. Hurry up and get out of bed," he added to Sheppard, and was gone.

Yep, that's pretty much how I see McKay reacting.

• Transcendental - This was my intro to the fandom, and I have a soft spot for it. It's an engrossing, well-plotted, hugely entertaining A/U in which Elizabeth is put out of commission for a while, leaving Rodney — Rodney! God help us all — in charge. Quelle shock, he and Sheppard get up to all sorts of trouble, because they're basically genius 12-year-olds who like to blow things up. Well, in between shagging like minks. (Granted, I did think the sex pretty much came completely out of left field, and I found Rodney's characterization to be particularly problematic — he seemed like Super!Rodney to me, not the brilliant-but-flawed Rodney I see in canon. However, I eventually decided that it was fabulous enough that I didn't care.)

• A Beautiful Lifetime Event - A very entertaining story, alternately flat-out hilarious and sniffle-inducing in its angst. It's kidfic with few of the pejorative connotations I usually associate with that term. Especially the graphic at the end, which is genius. (Having said this, I would have loved to have seen significantly more of the guys' lives together; I felt like every time I blinked, a couple of years had gone by. Plus, I really, really couldn't see the guys being quite that stupid for that long, especially once they'd become so close. But I still got quite a kick out of the tale, and of course it's beautifully written.)

sheafrotherdon

• A Whole World of Trouble - John's a country singer in a honky-tonk, and Rodney's a professor who just moved to town. 'Nuff said. It would be absolutely perfect if only it weren't so darned short; but it is still a thing of beauty.

• A Farm in Iowa - A wonderfully imaginative, original A/U in which the author captures John and Rodney beautifully. Exquisite from beginning to end. Plus, yay, long! Epic, even!

Shrift

• Mean Boys - For those times when you just need a dose of John/Rodney bickering. Short and sweet cranky.

• The Reverse of Fascination - Set during the trip back to Atlantis during "The Intruder." This is what happens when John Sheppard gets bored. Brilliant.

shusu

• Home Fires Burning - A fascinating follow-up to "Home," intriguing and original. (There were a few sections that I thought perhaps didn't entirely work as well as one might have liked, but those were minor quibbles; the story is quite well done overall.)

siegeofangels

• We Now Return You to Your Regularly Scheduled Crisis - At the end of a battle with the Wraith, Rodney and John finally get together (in her High as Heaven), and all is well; except it turns out that the ZPM is mysteriously recharging each time they hook up. Wacky hijinx ensue. Great Rodney voice in this, and I adore sentient!Atlantis.

silvia kundera

• Silvia has written possibly the funniest take on John I've read to date. Her untitled ficlet set pre-"The Intruder" is cracktastic genius from beginning to end.

Sin

• da capo - Rodney and John and angry makeup sex post-Siege. Guh.

• terra firma - This is the episode I wish we'd seen pre-"Intruder." (Of course, the show would have to be on premium cable, but that's such a minor detail.) Rodney and John during their month on Earth. Lovely. (McKay/Sheppard)

• Inertia - A thoughtful look at Sheppard during their time back on Earth pre-"Intruder." Beautiful slice-of-character, if there is such a thing. (gen)

skoosiepants

• Oo-De-Lally - Tongue-in-cheek take on Robin Hood that made me laugh, done for the reel_sga LJ challenge. Their love is so adorkable.

• Once Upon a Furry Octopus - Rodney adopts a pet; or rather, it adopts him. And then plays Cupid, of course. The bits in which all of Atlantis was convinced that Rodney was a Cad Who Had Broken The Colonel's Heart™ were a hoot. (Plus, Ernie + the purple sparkly pen = OTP.)

• And They Lived Happily Ever After - Coda to "Furry Octopus." John, Rodney and the lell settle into domestic not-quite-bliss; that is, until Rodney builds the robot and Ernie's maternal instincts kick into high gear. I really enjoy her way with all the little details in this universe. (Poor Lorne. And Air Supply!) Honestly, though, John & Rodney in this story? Worst. parents. ever.

• What Happens in the Clubhouse - John, Rodney, Ronon and Larry the zoologist are de-aged while off-world. (Those crazy aliens, they're just nutty like that.) Very funny and still very much them.

• Those Days - Because clearly there wasn't enough crack already, between the space octopus and the 5-year-old John & Rodney — skoosie combined them. I think that's my brain oozing out of my right ear...

solvent90

• Intuition - Rodney catches a clue. Short, sweet, and nicely done.

stillane

• The Ratio of Burning - During an off-world mission, Rodney is..."fixed" by an alien race. Wonderful eerie feel to this.

SummerCon Zine

This is a lovely online zine organized and put together by svmadelyn. There are some fun pieces by some good authors in SGA (as well as SPN and other fandoms), including Cesperanza’s Learn Something New (a thoroughly enjoyable little John/Rodney fic) and Miss Pamela's Decompression (a perfect missing scene from "The Return, Part 1;" wonderful desperation on the parts of both Rodney and John, and just completely in character for both of them).

synedochic

• Freedom's Just Another Word for Nothing Left to Lose - Incredibly beautiful. Not to mention gut-wrenchingly painful. It's several years post-Atlantis, post-everything; Rodney is teaching at a two-bit university in the middle of nowhere and trying to come to terms with surviving. This is one of the best Rodneys I've read, and this is a wonderfully intelligent, mature piece of work. Definitely one of my top SGA stories of all time.

• A Long Gold Sliding Into Dawn - John Sheppard is one seriously, seriously screwed-up puppy in this. Lucky for him, Rodney knows this, and can handle the psychosis. A tremendously insightful, pull-no-punches piece.

• Nondisclosure Agreement - A thoughtful, spot-on character study of John. Not a story so much as a series of snapshots, but engrossing nonetheless.

taffetablue

• A Supermarket in California - A long, wonderfully detailed A/U in which the author captures John and Rodney beautifully.

teand

• Great Expectations - Aliens force John and Rodney to have sex. Or at least, that's the theory... A terrific twist on a fanfic cliché.

the_drifter

• Rebuilding Babel - Rodney is left with some serious personal fallout following an off-world mission gone awry. It said something about this galaxy's fucked-up sense of irony that Rodney's unofficial translator was a man whose natural conversation style had two default settings, flippant and laconic. The writing here is truly spectacular; characterization is flawless throughout, especially for Rodney and John, whom I just adored in this piece.

thedeadparrot

• Open Your Eyes - An AU that owes a lot to "Friday Night Lights;" John is the new high school football coach, Ronon and Teyla are his assistants, and Rodney is a visiting teacher. Wonderful long, plotty story with great John POV and excellent use of canon characters.

tigerlady

• Gifts Unasked For - In this A/U set post-Siege, John, Rodney and Teyla defy orders to go searching for Ford, and wind up stranded off-world together, with no hope of rescue and no way home. The author does a nice job depicting the caring and emotion between the characters in this piece. (John/Rodney/Teyla)

toft_froggy

• String Theory is exquisite — a beautifully written, subtly understated, powerfully felt story. It's an A/U, yes, but it is John and Rodney. And it works, on every level. (I only wish it had been about 4x as long. But I say that about so many good stories, greedy cow that I am.)

toomuchplor

• Classified aka Wanted made me laugh like a loon. Brilliant! She gives great John here — not to mention outstanding Rodney, but good John is really tough, IMO. All the dialogue is fabulous.

• Tactus - An A/U in which John & Rodney teach/conduct music at a university. The interaction between them in this is very well done, and the characterization is excellent, very subtle and smart.

• The Theory of Acquired Characters - An A/U in which Rodney goes undercover as a grad student at a university where John is teaching. Great voice for both John and Rodney, but it's Ronon who steals the show here; I loved her take on him in this story.

torch

• In decision - A short but powerful piece in which things very nearly went horribly wrong off-world, leaving John and Rodney more than a bit shell-shocked. Wonderfully understated emotion in this.

• About a Lamp - Just amazingly funny. Things start going suspiciously well for the Atlantis crew at the same time that an odd little Ancient artifact makes an appearance. The snark reaches truly unbelievable heights, and Rodney's voice is spot-on, to wit: "Oh my God, I'm going to die. I'm going to die and Halling is going to recite inspirational Athosian poetry over my empty coffin." Yep, that's the geek we know and love. (And she's got Zelenka nailed as well; every time he pops up, he steals the show, much as he does in the series.) Plus, it's long! Yay!

trinityofone

• Idol - An A/U in which John is a washed-up television star who gets a shot at an Oscar and Rodney is his razor-tongued agent and politically incorrect date to the Academy Awards. Even in Tinseltown, the voices are spot-on.

• Eight Ways John and Rodney Gave Themselves Away - I adore this look at the ensemble cast of characters on Atlantis. Subtle and brilliant.

• Dæmonology - A really clever, original fusion story incorporating the premise from His Dark Materials and making it completely interesting and workable within the SGA universe. Wonderful concept, extremely well executed. She's a terrific writer, and I'm thrilled she's writing here.

valderys

• Thule-Gesellschaft - One of the Mensa A/Us featuring a very different Sheppard and a very different — yet all too plausible — world. The writing in this is particularly beautiful; she uses language exquisitely in constructing this ominous universe and this damaged, defensive Sheppard. I also loved her ambiguous Rod with his smiling facade and unclear loyalties. Very original.

Wax Jism

• Experience As Interesting As Possible - Just a lot of fun. Sheppard's POV is spot-on, and there's cranky Rodney! and a dragon! and the unicorns deer! and the mountain lion! and John to the rescue! except sort of not, because, "Oh, hey, I have a screwdriver."

whetherwoman

• The Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Aliens (And Ancient Devices And That Damn Athosian Hooch) Made Them Do It is hysterical. Written for the Bad Sex challenge on sga_flashfic, and by God, is it ever. Hoo-yah.

xanphibian

• Advanced Ground Fighting Techniques - Rodney gets some extra combat training as the reality of Atlantis at war sinks in. Oddly enough, he's far better at coping than John. Great take on Rodney, John, and the team dynamics in this.

yin_again

• Clean Plate Club - Cracktastic A/U in which John is a photographer, Rodney's a food stylist (yeah, I know, just go with it), and several other familiar characters show up too (including SG-1). Nice low-key John/Rodney dynamic here, and lots of fabulous-sounding food, which is never a bad thing.

• Pants on Fire - Rodney tries to one-up John by bluffing his knowledge of teh hawt gay sex, and then has to put his money — or lube, in this case — where his mouth is. Great internal Rodney voice in this; the commentary and tangents are completely in-character ("oh, he was never going to use this hand to eat again").

• Complementary Colors - An A/U in which Rodney is an artist and John his temporary model. I love all the details in this, the way Rodney insists on making his own paints and canvases (as he so would), the precision of his painting style. Beautifully done.

Zoë Rayne

• Diplomatic Incident and Incidentally - John accidentally starts an alien orgy when a planet of empaths picks up on his hidden jones for Rodney. Hee!

• Threat Assessment - Unrepentant porn, with a little kink for seasoning. Much with the "guh" here.

• The Little Things - Nice character study of Elizabeth, Teyla, Aiden, John and Rodney; lovely insight into each of them. (gen)

From remix_redux:

• Oikos by siriaeve and Oikos (The Optometry Remix) by panisdead - Foursome fics usually do less than nothing for me, but both of these are absolutely beautiful, and so very well done that I just loved them. Rodney's voice is quite different in these two pieces, yet equally well done, and both have wonderful team interaction. (Rodney/John/Teyla/Ronon)

Recs from SGA_flashfic Challenges
(both slash and gen, listed by author, in no particular order)
(note that I stopped keeping up with these after the “Harlequin” challenge, so lack of later recs is no reflection on anything but my own laziness)

Animal

• BethyNYC

Mission Report

• Kat Reitz & tzigane

Secret Superpower
• blue_underwing, apple_pi, sheafrotherdon (totally cracktastic), iamtheenemy, audaxfemina, leah k, Sholio

Dark Side

• mmmchelle, Shalott, lunasky

Earthside

• Purna

Exhaustion

• Lenore

Virgin

• Lacey McBain

Left Behind

• Alizarin_NYC

Search and Seizure

• ltlj, Smittywing, Hth, Brighid, tigs, miss_porcupine, Kitestringer, Helen (Ronon/Zelenka), and Nuhiep.

Harlequin

• Frostfire, minnow1212 (multiple pairings), Brighid - Part 1 and Part 2, Mel, nestra, chopchica, astolat (and its fab cover by Livia), Zulu, Mandragora - Part 1 and Part 2, Rachael Sabotini, Kylie Lee (Weir/Zelenka), Lenkti, trinityofone, Pares, Coreopsis, Sandy, zortified (McKay/Zelenka, Sheppard/Beckett), Teaphile (and its cracktastic cover by Chrysothemis), Pouncer, Mahoy, Delurker, _inbetween_, Sandy (again), celtiknot, and MamaDeb.

Personal Item

• Hth, Barb G, Zulu, tigs

Skirting

• Shalott, Jane St. Clair, _inbetween_, panisdead, Frostfire, Brighid, and lakester.

Amnesty

• Giddygeek, Karen McFadyyon, teand, Starfish, leah k., Frostfire, Karen McFadyyon (again), Otter, The Moonmoth, Otter (again), Lenkti, Wax Jism, tigs (McKay/Bed!), Greensilver, Zoe Rayne, xanphibian, Sin (Markham/Stackhouse), The Moonmoth (again), ladyjestyr, and Coreopsis.

Abandonment

• minnow1212, Celli, Nestra, lenkti, Brighid, Kyrieane, mousewitchy, and Jennamajig.

ESP

• Zoe Rayne, kageygirl, carleton97, kyrdwyn, 20thCenturyVole, Brighid, kageygirl (again), Girl Clone, Princess_Bunny, and miera.

Dangling

• the grrrl, Brighid, sprat, MaisieRita, Rose Wilde-Irish, Barkeep, HYPERFocused, and Lemonbella.

Slave-fic

• Kylie Lee, Rachael Sabotini, Miss Pamela, Speranza, Zoe Rayne, Shalott, Casspeach, James, Zoe Rayne (again), Claire, Miriam Heddy, and Brighid.

City Exploration

• Speranza, Brighid, Giddygeek, Miss Pamela, Rachael Sabotini, chelle, kageygirl, springwoof, Zoe Rayne, lamardeuse, canadian_snoopy (Rodney/Teyla), and akire.

Voyeurism

• the grrrl, kageygirl, Resonant and the companion piece by Speranza, Lemonbella, Karen Mcfadyyon, akire, Zoe Rayne, tigerlady, tielan, Brighid, canadian_snoopy, Girl Clone, Rokeon, Philote, Sweeneybird

Bloody

Warning: a lot of these are mighty grim. (No surprise, given the topic.)

• kageygirl, canadian_snoopy, Nell Howell, chelle, James, Zoe Rayne, Miss Pamela, kageygirl (again), Rokeon, MaisieRita, and Rose Wilde-Irish.

Darkness

• minnow1212, Resonant, Barkeep, Rokeon, akire, danvers (no, really!), rivier, MaisieRita, Shade, Rokeon (again), eretria, Frostfire, Miss Pamela, Brighid, kageygirl (although, ow), Rachael Sabotini, Zoe Rayne, and Anatolia1.

First Contact

• shalott, Arduinna, Salieri, Pouncer, Resonant, kageygirl, Frostfire, and dannylurks.

38 minutes

Almost everything from this challenge was amazingly well done, and the variety was truly impressive.

• minnow1212, kageygirl, alyse (McKay/Sheppard/Weir), Moonloon, canadian_snoopy, Brighid, chelle (Sheppard/Weir), torch, shalott, Merry, Giddygeek, Speranza, James, sin, Frostfire (Steve!), Kimera, Nestra, melannen, minnow1212 (again), Coreopsis, Shell, Sarah, Miss Pamela, alienorx, Malograntum Vitiorum, James (again) (Rodney/Carson), rokeon, Greensilver (McKay/Beckett), helleboredoll, carleton97, Perri Smith, Claire, Frostfire (again), Gencie Salter, cofax, Malograntum Vitiorum (again), Rachael Sabotini, and Giddygeek (again).

Swimming

• Brighid, Nestra, Moonloon, Rokeon, shalott, kageygirl, Shell, Malograntum Vitiorum, and Kylie Lee and the grrrl.

Culture Clash

• the grrrl, salieri, Moonloon, Brighid, and Shalott (Sheppard/McKay/Zelenka).

Enclosed Spaces

• Merry, Moonloon, Aithine, kageygirl, Julad, Carolyn Claire, Rachael Sabotini, sin, torch, Brighid, laura maxwell, and shalott.

First Night

• Merry, shalott, Brighid, Moonlon, Shade, kageygirl, rivier, Malograntum Vitiorum, Rachael Sabotini, Koanju, Julad, Speranza, Miss Pamela, and Brighid (again).

Why'd I recommend these stories?

Because I adore:
• Canon. Canon. Canon. (Did I mention that I'm a slave to canon?)
• Rock-solid characterization, a high snark quotient, and banter that flies fast and furious.
• Long, epic tales. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled with the multitude of short pieces being posted to the LJ communities and lists, but I'm something of a size queen when it comes to stories. Bigger is definitely better in my book. (Provided it's not 200K of absolute crap, of course. Oh, wait, this isn't HP — we should be safe.)
• A good wallow in angst and suffering, provided said angst and suffering make sense given the characters and situation, and provided there is positive resolution. (Not fond of the guys being left in pain and without hope, ta very much.)
• Stories that include the city and the supporting cast. I like seeing the guys interacting with their world, not just blowing each other in the shower. (Well, most of the time, anyway.)

...and, generally speaking, I avoid:
• Stories that ooze romance and overt sentiment; i.e., those in which the guys make like characters in a Harlequin/Silhouette/Mills & Boon novel. Just not my cuppa.
• Stories in which one of the guys is: a) over-feminized or otherwise portrayed as tiny, fragile, delicate or submissive; b) a cold-hearted borderline psychopath; or c) a barely functional traumatized victim of a nightmare past. I don't really see this fitting the canonical portrayal of any of the lead characters, personally.
• Stories in which the any of the guys burst into tears on a regular basis. Ewww. Unless it's parody, in which case, rock on.
• Death stories. Because while I am not fond of the guys being left in pain and without hope, I'm even less fond of them being left — well — dead.

Recommended Sites:

Wraithbait

SGA fic archive. The wheat-to-chaff ratio can be more than a little scary, but there are a number of fine authors who post there. (Just watch out for those WIPs.)

SGA Newsletter

All the daily doings in SGA land. A marvelous resource — I check it daily.

SGA Flashfic

The source of much lovely — albeit really, really short — fic, often of the crack! variety.

SGA Noticeboard

A central list for announcements of SGA fic, etc. Very helpful.

Area 52

Another fic archive, this one for SG-1 and SGA, and slash-only. Not much SGA is posted here, and little of that is worth reading (IMO), but there are a few exceptions.

mamoru

Her SGA vids are things of beauty, wondrous to behold. "Cartoon Heroes" is such a technical marvel, and terrific fun. She breaks my heart every time with "Holding My Breath" and "Losing You." ::sniffle::

nel

In addition to her wonderful fic, she's done a couple of excellent SGA vids. I adore "Apocalypse Please," and "Holding Out for a Hero" is a lot of fun. Such talent the woman has.

danvers

All these %$#@! multi-talented people in this fandom give me a complex. She's a terrific writer, and her vids are great, especially the Atlantis Team vid (with its bomp-chicka-bom-bom vibe), "Have Not Hold," "Boulevard of the Broken," and "Wicked Game."

Other Recs Pages:
(i.e., "yeah, what they said...")

The Polyfannish Whores' Reccing Journal, the listings from which eventually wind up on Steph's recs — make sure to check out her highly recommended stories and list of personal favorites .

danvers' recs

mamoru's recs

cimorene's recs

wesleysgirl

Bastet

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