FAQ

[angelsgracie.livejournal.com]

( Frequently Asked Questions )

NOTE: [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] is in charge of switching over posting access. She lives on a continent that is not North America so the timing of when she switches over posting access is done according to her schedule. Please do not email me at 8:00 am on the first day of the month and ask about posting access. Now, if you don't have it by the second day of the month, then yeah, email me and I'll look into it.

15. Earlier you said that you, [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] and [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] were the owners/maintainers, but I see several other names on the list of maintainers. Can I contact them?

No. Their position is purely to maintain the actual recs. Anything to do with the members, admins, and questions will be handled by me, [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] or [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]. Any questions should be sent to us. [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] will run any questions by me, and I'll make decisions or whatever from there.

16. I'm signed up to rec in a genre. Can I just rec Atlantis fics?

Honestly, I like to see a balance between SG-1 and Atlantis here. I am a firm believer that there is still an abundance of good fic for both shows out there. If you want to rec solely for SG-1 or Atlantis, I suggest you take an SG-1 or Atlantis character or pairing when you volunteer.

17. Can I tag my own recs?

No. We have a wonderful group of volunteers (mentioned above) who tag all the entries and put them into memories. The comm is set up so that only those with maintainer privileges can tag. It's just the easiest way all around since we have a system of how we want the entries tagged.

18. How is it decided what tags are added to the entries?

Tags are added according to three lines in the Template for rec'cing.

1. Rec Category
2. Pairing

As a rec'cer, a specific category is listed for each of those lines. Maintainers who add the tags will ONLY add tags for what is put on those two lines.

19. Can I use my recs to promote other communities?

For now, we're going to have to say 'no' to this one. It's not that we don't want to promote other communities. We have a list of affiliate comms on the userinfo page. If you would like to become an affiliate, just email me at mrsgeneraloneill @ hotmail . com. I'll add the comm to the userinfo page, and the other comm will add [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] to their userinfo.

We're saying 'no' because we want the focus to be on the fic that's being rec'ced and the author who wrote it. We don't want recs to end up as advertisements for anything other than the fic itself.

20. Can I rec a WIP?

Initially, I would have answered a flat out 'no' to this question. As I thought about it though, I realized that there are a lot of good WIP's out there. So 'yes' you may rec a WIP, however you MUST put WIP in the Warnings of the entry. If that's not there, the rec will be removed. People don't like going in to read a fic, thinking it's finished, only to find it isn't. So as long as you put in the Warnings that it is a WIP, we should be good.

21. What about RP fic?

Gonna have to say 'no' to this one. It's a touchy subject matter that can be very controversial and I strive for this comm to be as free from conflict as possible. Therefore, no fic that contains real people... Characters only.

22. When can I start making my recs?

[Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] is in charge of switching posting access. As soon as she makes the post telling everyone it's switched, then you can begin posting for your category.

23. What if I have posting access already and I'm rec'cing a different category for the next month?

Please wait until [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] switches posting access to start your new category. This makes the beginning of the month unilateral for everyone. It keeps it fair all the way around. Until she switches access, the rec'cer from the previous month may still want to put up a rec. This way, no toes are stepped upon.

24. What if I want to request a specific month for sometime in the future?

This is one we are very firm about. Absolutely no requests for future months will be allowed. You sign up to rec, and it's first come/first served. It isn't first come/claim whenever you want. If you sign up and request a month that is for sometime in the future, [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] will screen the request and it will be as if it never happened. Setting up rec'cers for this comm is time consuming as it is. I will not ask [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] to keep track of who wants what and when. If you can't rec when it's your turn in line, [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] may come back to you, it all depends upon the situation and how long the list was before she got to your name. We are diplomatic about this, but if the request is for a couple months in the future, it will be screened.

25. What about disciplinary policy? How are flamers handled?

This one is another cut and dry response. If someone flames a rec'cer, the comment will be deleted. Flames are NOT tolerated. If someone does it on a repeated basis, then he/she will be banned. This comm is a haven for fans of Stargate fanfiction. We are biased toward no one. We represent as wide a variety of fandom as we possibly can. Everyone should feel safe to express themselves. It's the part of this comm that makes me most proud.

26. How do I volunteer to rec?

To rec a for a category, click on this link...

Volunteer to be a Rec'cer

Once there you will see links for our four categories...

Character
Friendship
Genre
Pairings

So, for example, if you want to rec for Daniel Jackson, you would click on the Volunteer to be a Rec'cer link. Once there, you would click on Character. Then you would click on Daniel Jackson

After that, all you do is click on 'Post a new comment' and leave a post for [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com], simply saying that you would like to rec for Daniel Jackson.

We have links for just about every major character, and if the one you want isn't there... no biggie. There's a Character: Other category where you can leave a post and volunteer for any Stargate character you want.

You do have to go through the four main links to volunteer though. Requesting to volunteer on an admin post is not a true request. We do that to keep it fair. If someone else has gone to the link to post and you request here... it just makes things confusing.

If you have any other questions, please send me an email at mrsgeneraloneill @ hotmail . com, and I will reply to you. This entry is only updated periodically.

"Strange Attractors" by Zoe Rayne

[amalthia]

Rec Category: BDSM/Non-Con
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Category: Atlantis sga_flashfic (Slave Challenge)
Warning: NC-17, Slash, Non-con
Author on LJ: z_rayne
Author's Website: Vapor Traces
Link: Should probably read Icing on the Cake first, then Strange Attractors

Why This Must Be Read: There's sex, mutual hurting, and the story broke me up inside. It's ambiguous with a sense of hope. I loved how the story unfolded, John and Rodney's reactions, and her descriptions/dialogue. It also features one of my favorite themes, "alien drugs make (insert character name here) irresistible." It's dark and it doesn't pull it's punches. It'll make you think, possibly debate on if you want a sequel or not. After reading Icing on the Cake this story was definitely a wake up call. For anyone who's had a friend take advantage of them while drunk or on drugs...this story might hit closer to home. It doesn't romantasize anything. It's harsh and real and in my opinion, both guys need therapy.

"Left Behind" by Miera (NC-17)

[azarsuerte.livejournal.com]

Hey all! When I found out I had the general Atlantis category for this month, the first thing that went through my mind was literally, where do I start?? I have so much favorite fic in this fandom already, in just about every category--you can even expect a few recs for 'ships I don't sail. *grin* But to start with...let's kick the month off with a bang. So to speak. ;-)

Rec Category: Atlantis
Pairing grouping: Sheppard/Weir/McKay
Category: AU, darkfic
Warning: threesome, graphic sex (both m/m and m/f), VERY dark
Author on LJ: miera_c
Author's Website: http://www.geocities.com/coffeeslash/miera/index.html
Link: Left Behind

Why this must be read:

My not-so-secret kink in Atlantis fic is Sheppard/Weir/McKay, and although I tend to see Weir as the apex of it rather than Sheppard, this is nevertheless one of my all-time favorite fics for the grouping. Set in a dark alternate future where John, Rodney and Elizabeth are the only survivors of a Wraith attack on Atlantis, this is the story of three broken people finally realizing how much they need each other and choosing to move forward together. John is the viewpoint character, as he tries to keep Weir and McKay sane while all the while concealing from both of them the depth of his own emotional wounds, and the beauty of it is that it's utterly believable. And that says something, considering the only two of the three that I don't also 'ship separately is Sheppard/McKay. This John is the same John who blamed himself for Sumner's death and the awakening of the Wraith, the same John who is all too quick to accept potentially-suicide missions to save the people he cares about and/or feels responsible for. This is just a different type of suicide mission, and therefore necessitates a different type of rescue. Weir and McKay are equally recognizeable--you totally believe that this is an Elizabeth who's coming out of the fog of her own hurt enough to resume her role as healer, and a Rodney who's just adopted a different guise to hide the same old insecurities and reluctant heroism he's always possessed, only magnified by what they've survived. This is emotion at its rawest and darkest, but at the same time there's a glimmer of hope in the very authentic bond of love between the three characters, a hope that allows you to believe at the end of the story that this is the end of the descent into darkness and the beginning of the slow climb back into the light.

Transcendental by shallot (NC-17)

[ladyclio16.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Sheppard/McKay
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Category: Slash
Warning: NC-17, Slash
Author on LJ: astolat
Author's Website: http://www.intimations.org/fanfic/
Link: Transcendental

Why this must be read:

This is the fic that made me want to take a turn rec'ing the Sheppard/McKay pairing this month. I checked the memories and couldn't believe that it hadn't been rec'd yet. (If it has and I just failed to find it feel free to tell me, but I swear I looked everywhere.) It is without a doubt one of the best fics I've read in this pairing and I love it to pieces. It's also probably one of the best known fics, which might be why no one has rec'dit before. They might have figured everyone had read it already. On the off chance that someone has missed it or is new to the fandom I thought it definitely needed to be included among the Sheppard/McKay recs for this community.

I absolutely love the way astolat writes Rodney in this fic. He is in full on alpha mode and this just excites the alpha in John completely. I love the way the two interact in this fic. She writes both men as smart and capable. This is a wonderfully long, plotty fic with lots of steamy hot sex.

If you are new to this fandom or just managed to never read this fic now is your chance. I'm here to pimp it. This is one not to be missed.

ETA: By the way, I'm Clio and I'll be the Sheppard/McKay reccer for this month. Hope you enjoy my recs.

A Better Fate by chelle (NC-17)

[ladyclio16.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Sheppard/McKay
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Category: Slash
Warning: NC-17, Slash
Author on LJ: mmmchelle
Author's Website:chelle's nightstand
Link: A Better Fate

Why This Must Be Read:

This is another of those fics that I am just completely in love with. In this one John and Rodney are taking a vacation back on Earth. Having no better place to go Rodney lets John talk him into going home with him and visiting his folks. I love the banter between the two in this fic. It's easy to see that their friendship has evolved into love and all they really have to do is realize it. The thing that makes this fic really great is how she slowly unfolds a story of pain and trauma that happened to John and Rodney several months before. She doles out bits and pieces of information, but it's never really explicit. This isn't really a hurt comfort fic, but there are hints of past trauma that both of them are still recovering from.

This is another long and plotty fic that I absolutely adore. I've reread it several times and I still love it as much as I did the first time.

A Beautiful Lifetime Event by shallot (NC-17)

[ladyclio16.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Sheppard/McKay
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Category: Slash, Kid Fic
Warning: NC-17, Slash, Kid Fic
Author on LJ: astolat
Author's Website:http://www.intimations.org/fanfic/
Link:A Beautiful Lifetime Event

Why This Must Be Read:

"This is an accident with Ancient technology, not a beautiful lifetime event!..."

Accidents with Ancient technology are a regular occurrence in SGA fics and well you just had to figure someone would write this one sooner or later. I don't know how anyone could take this scenario and make it work more perfectly than astolat did.

Now if you don't generally like kid fics don't go running away from this one. The child is present in the fic, but the story never gets taken over by the kid. This is a John/Rodney story and it always firmly remains so. astolat deftly managed to maintain that throughout the fic.

It is completely a story about John, Rodney, how they fell in love, and realized just what all they could be to one another. The thing I love about this story is how the guys seem to do everything backwards in it. They have a child together before they've ever had sex. They manage to end up "married" before they fall in love. They are so in completely in love that sex is literally an after-thought. It's like one day they realize, "Hey, we can have hot sex too. Cool!" This story takes place over years and shows just how John and Rodney go from being friends to truly being a family.

This is one of those fics that I've read several times and still love it just as much as I did the first time around. It is among my top favorites in this fandom.

I want to add that this is a kid fic, NOT an MPREG. No guy gets pregnant in this one.

"Infirmary After" by Teand (R)

[fhartman.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Angst
Pairing: None
Category: Angst, Drama
Warning: Adult Themes
Author on LJ: teand
Author's Website: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/feistydanny/teand.htm
Link: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/feistydanny/infirmary.htm

Why This Must Be Read: I can't speak for everyone else, but I know that I've become a bit desensitized to certain types of violence in fic because of the explicitness of it - and that has its place - but it makes a piece like this strangely shocking when I come across it. Rule number one for the writer is "Show me, don't tell me," and rule number two is "Sometimes what we don't see is scarier." I've never, ever, seen a fic writer manage to combine both those things in one fic as powerfully as Teand does here. We don't actually see the trauma that Carter deals with happen directly, but the emotional fallout is like a punch in the stomach for being so understated. Characterization is brilliant, vivid and perfect; Janet gets a chance to shine with all the compassion and humanity that we knew she was capable of on the show, but usually had to tuck away behind her medical speak. This Carter is the Carter we love - strong and tough, but still human and capable of being vulnerable underneath the "gotta be a good soldier" façade. The guys are used sparingly here, but even they are drawn in strong lines that show exactly who and what they are, and why we love all these people so much. One of the best gen stories out there!

"Yea, Though I Walk" by Niqaeli (PG)

[kiarasayre.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Aiden Ford
Character: Aiden Ford
Category: Gen
Warning: Adult themes, spoilers for Seige II
Author on LJ: niqaeli
Author's Website: Here
Link: Yea, Though I Walk

Why This Must Be Read: This may be short, but boy, does it pack a punch. It's consistent with the Ford we've seen in the show (and given his screentime, or lack thereof, that's saying something), it brings in some backstory, it's utterly believable, and did I mention that it packs a punch? It's also beautifully written, and brings up a point that most SG:A fans probably haven't considered.

"McKay's Flying Trapeze" by kris mcsherry (PG-13)

[kitakatzz.livejournal.com]

Title: McKay's Flying Trapeze
Rec Category: Rodney McKay
Character: Rodney McKay
Category: Gen, bit of angst, action/adventure/drama.
Warning: None, spoilers for first half of SGA season 1
Author on LJ: Nope
Author's Website: None, but here's her profile on FFN.
McKay's Flying Trapeze

Why This Must be Read:
So much of the Ancient's technology depends on mind control, but what if you lost control of your mind?
-Catchy summary, no?
This really is a great story. Wonderfully subtle humor plays throughout it's length, and heck, even if you're not a McKay fan, you might find yourself reading this just to get some good Carson characterization, but if that doesn't do it for you- check it out for the great Sheppard/McKay friendship moments. Either way, this is a story you actually have to read to get- it's not one you can just skim through, as the author jumps from topic to topic every other sentence (just as McKay does), and keeps you paying close attention.
I don't want to give it all away, but there's many parts that tugged on my heart-strings and refused to let go.

Really is a shame it has so little reviews... but you guys will fix that, right?

Mercy by astolat

[amalthia]

Rec Category: BDSM/Non-Con
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Category: Atlantis sga_flashfic (Slave Challenge)
Warning: NC-17, Slash, Non-con/BDSM
Author on LJ: astolat
Author's Website: Intimations
Link: Mercy

Why This Must be Read: Rodney is forced to tie John down and have sex with him in front of aliens but it's so much more than that. It was hot.

I'm not great at saying why a story should be read. I apologize if my reviews are kind of short.

"Fifty-Minute Hour" by Lin L. Barrett (PG-13)

[sef1029.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Humor
Pairing: None
Category: SG-1 team fic, humor, action/adventure, OC
Warnings: None
Author on LJ: No
Author's Website: None
Link: http://www.sg1-heliopolis.com/archive/42/fiftyminutehour.html

Why This Must Be Read: I adore this story. I'm reccing it first this month because I expect most Stargate fans on LJ have not seen or read it. You know how everyone says there might be some gems on Heliopolis, but no one can find them? This is one of the sparkliest hidden treasures, team fic at its best.

The setup: Thanks to Maybourne, O'Neill is forced to drag a trained psychologist along on three missions. The unlucky lady is tasked with evaluating the colonel's mental health. You can imagine how well SG-1 takes to her.

Excerpt:

"Yes, Colonel O'Neill. We are in need of a taster for the royal table. This one" --a beautiful gesture of his black-nailed hand indicated me -- "has the skill to tell whether a dish has been poisoned without having to eat and die of it. Such would be intensely useful to me, Colonel O'Neill. I will buy her from you. Shall we say – twenty lengths of cloth of gold?"

The courtiers all gasped; it must have been a good price for an indentured servant.

O'Neill narrowed his eyes. "Your Highness, I couldn't possibly accept fewer than thirty lengths of - uh - cloth of gold for a servant with that talent."

I have always looked at the possession of a sense of humor as a strong indicator of sanity. Right then, however, I'd've made an exception for O'Neill.

I'm probably lucky they couldn't agree on price.

May Rec'cers

[angelsgracie.livejournal.com]

This is sort of for the June Rec'cers too...

I believe I have put all the fics that were rec'ced for May into the memories now. If the May Rec'cers could look over your category and make sure I put all your fics in there, I would appreciate it. If the June Rec'cers want to check their categories again and make sure what you're wanting to rec hasn't already been done, I'd appreciate it. I missed a couple days in my posting recs to memories. Sorry guys!

If I missed a fic, reply to this post or email me and I'll add it!

Thanks everyone!

"More Than Enough" by tielan firefingers (Unrated)

[scrollgirl.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Sheppard/Teyla

Category: Gen (Pre-het?)
Pairing: Sheppard-Teyla
Warnings: Unrated, but I'd say PG-13; spoilers for "The Gift" 1.18
Author on LJ: tielan
Author's Website: None
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/community/sga_flashfic/83219.html

Summary: "He found himself watching her, more than once, although he caught himself before anything as unwary as actual admiration sprang up." Written for the Voyeur challenge over at sga_flashfic.

Why read it: This story is told through the POV of Sgt. Bates, the sceptical, by-the-book US Marine that Weir has put in charge of Atlantis security. Bates is one of my favourite minor characters because he is an antagonist -- not a bad guy, by any means, but a character who creates tension because he doesn't automatically go along with our heroes. Bates doesn't trust Teyla at all. In fact, one could go so far as to say he'd like to drop-kick her off one of Atlantis' many piers. He doesn't seem to think much of Sheppard either.

But Bates is a soldier. While he has doubts about Sheppard and Teyla's growing friendship, Bates never stops being a consummate professional. We see the Sheppard/Teyla relationship unfold through his eyes, and let me just tell you -- tielan gives us incredible insight on one of the most complicated relationships on the show. The bond between Sheppard and Teyla is instinctive and undeniable -- it's so instinctive, in fact, that I'm not sure they truly see each other at times. (Well, Sheppard moreso than Teyla.) I love what tielan does with Bates to tell us about Sheppard and Teyla as individuals, and as a pairing -- not to mention the fantastic Bates character development!

An excerpt:

The Athosian woman and her presence in Atlantis was a subject of much speculation among the men - especially since she'd managed to gain trust in the highest echelons of the expedition.

"She's a looker."

"She's an alien," Bates answered. It wasn't that he was a suspicious bastard. It was just that...he was a suspicious bastard.

Plus, stick fighting. Possibly as a metaphor -- you can judge for yourself ;)


Go read "More Than Enough".

Abstain by Resonant (NC-17)

[ladyclio16.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Sheppard/McKay
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Category:Slash, Romance
Warning: Slash, NC-17
Author on LJ:resonant8
Author's Website:in media res
Link:Abstain

Why This Must Be Read:

Aliens force John and Rodney to not have sex!

If you've spent any amount of time in the Stargate fandom (either SG1 or SGA) then you've probably read at least one fic featuring the "Aliens made them have sex!" cliche. Well, in this story resonant8 gives this well used fandom cliche' a twist. By having aliens make John and Rodney not have sex. It's part of a cleansing ritual and the guys think this should be a piece of cake. Since they go around not having sex all the time. Oh, but if it were that easy then it wouldn't be a test now would it. Somewhere between the pornographic artwork, phallic shaped foods, and aphrodisiac incense not having sex becomes more of a challenge than they ever anticipated.

This fic has a wonderful sensuality to it. The tension between John and Rodney has a slow simmer type effect making you eager for them to finally consummate their desires. All the while knowing that they can't do it just yet. A great read for those who enjoy a nice slow build-up to the hot steamy sex.