The Hard Prayer by Rheanna (PG-13)

[sholio]

Show: Stargate Atlantis
Rec Category: John Sheppard
Characters: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Het/Slash/Gen: Slash
Warning: apocalypse AU; implied death of almost everybody other than the main characters
Author on LJ: rheanna27
Author's Website: Palimpsest: Fanfiction by Rheanna
Link: The Hard Prayer
Audiobook: This fic is also available as podfic, read by the author, which can be found here.

Why This Must Be Read: This story was widely rec'd last year, and deservedly so. Sheppard and McKay are among the scattered few survivors of a worldwide plague, and after meeting, set out on a long cross-country trek towards their one fragile hope of a better future. The post-human world is detailed and believable; I am a sucker for a good survival story, and this is an excellent one.

But what makes this story really extraordinary is its psychological subtlety. Sheppard (and McKay as well) are the characters we know, and yet, not quite -- the stresses of living on their own in their post-plague world have pushed their canonical quirks, flaws and neuroses up into the red end of the dial. But it's perfectly clear how they got from their canon selves to the people that they are in the story, and they aren't at all unsympathetic -- quite the contrary actually; you'll break for them, as they soldier on despite their crushing burden of psychological problems and grief. Sheppard, who's the viewpoint character throughout, is the very best kind of unreliable narrator; even he doesn't know what he's thinking and feeling half the time, and the slow unfolding of his emotions is beautifully portrayed.

This is a sweet and powerful story of two broken people finding their way back from the edge. The pairing, while definitely woven into the fabric of the story, actually takes a backseat for the most part to their friendship, so this story may also appeal to those who enjoy the characters on a gen level as well.

Comments

[malnpudl.livejournal.com]

That is such a fantastic story. Great rec. You might also want to mention that it's been podficced (http://audiofic.jinjurly.com/category/authorrheanna).

[sholio]

Oh! Thank you very much for reminding me (and the irony is that listening to the audiobook was what reminded me that I wanted to rec it!). Added a link - thanks!