AU: Penny, or Nature's Who's Who: The McKay by Salieri

[tafkarfanfic.livejournal.com]

TITLE: Penny, or Nature's Who's Who: The McKay
AUTHOR: Salieri
REC CATEGORY: AU, humor
PAIRING: Daniel/Rodney
CATEGORY: AU
WARNING: Slash
AUTHOR ON LJ: troyswann
AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: Outside the Box
LINK: http://www.livejournal.com/community/pegasus_b/28918.html?mode=reply
WHY READ?:

They say "Leave 'em laughing", and that's exactly what I'm doing here. The idea of Daniel and Rodney as a pairing may seem a little mind-boggling, but after you read this bit of backstory, I think you'll see why it's so charming. Warning: don't drink any beverages while reading this tale, unless you want REALLY clear sinuses!

Het: "Eurydice Ascending" by Christina Kamnikar

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

REC CATEGORY: Het
TITLE: Eurydice Ascending
AUTHOR: Christina Kamnikar
CATEGORY: Het, Drama, Humour
PAIRING: Daniel/Sha'ure
WARNING: None
AUTHOR ON LJ: butterflykiki
AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: The Chaos Horizon
LINK: Eurydice Ascending
WHY READ?: It's an alternate universe story where SG-1 did manage to return with Sha'ure/Ammonet at the end of 'Forever In A Day'. Naturally, the NID want to lay their hands on Goa'uld and host, and Daniel and his team have to undertake unusual measures to elude them.

This is a powerful, serious story with some lovely moments of humour and lightheartedness. The 'run-around' that the SGC gives Maybourne and his cronies as they try to get hold of Sha'ure is brilliant and quite laugh-worthy. And Daniel and Sha'ure's moments are tender and bittersweet all the way through. Definitely worth a read.

Action-Adventure: "Out of the Frying Pan" by Denise

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

REC CATEGORY: Action-Adventure
TITLE: Out of the Frying Pan
AUTHOR: Denise
CATEGORY: Action-Adventure
PAIRING: None
WARNING: None
AUTHOR ON LJ: skydiver119
AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: Emerald City
LINK: Out of the Frying Pan
WHY READ?: This is a 'what if' for the end of the Season Six episode 'Forsaken' - what if the three prisoners on the transport ship got off the planet and had a hostage with them - Sam? The story is excellently written and does a great job of looking at permutative possibilities. I always love reading the drama and action in this one.

Het: "Guarding the Gate" by Rowan Darkstar

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

REC CATEGORY: Het
TITLE: Guarding The Gate
AUTHOR: Rowan Darkstar
CATEGORY: Angst, Sam/Jack, Drama
PAIRING: Sam/Jack UST
WARNING: Angst
AUTHOR ON LJ: Don't know the author's LJ name.
AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: Rowan_D
LINK: Guarding The Gate
WHY READ?: In spite of the slightly showy name of this author, I was highly impressed with this story. It's a short one about SG-1 (plus Jack) going out to check something on a planet, and Jack and Sam having one of their 'conversations' about Sam's relationship.s with a) Pete, and b) Jack, and c) everyone.

Now let's get this clear; I consider it nearly impossible to find a fic where Sam and Jack talk about their relational interactions while remaining in-character. I have whined and moaned, wailed and beseeched the gods of in-character characterisation to inspire someone to produce something where these two characters talk about their relationship, all the while avoiding declarations of love, smoochies, mushiness, or any kind of pop song. These are two people who are way out in the boonies when it comes to emotional admissions, and their speech and conversation should reflect that.

This story manages it a damn sight better than too many others I've read. It treads the line awful close, but the one 'admission' that is made in the story could easily be attributed to a kind of 'dream-' or 'thoughts sequence' where what is heard is not what is said and the next moment the possibilities are lost. The sequencing of the breaks seems to indicate that it's not an 'inclusive' scene, and the story almost works better with that sequence as an unspoken/psychic connection, but the reader is free to choose.

"Paternity Test" by Corby (PG)

[fhartman.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Daniel, Jack
Category: H/C, J/D Friendship, Post-Ep for "Seth"
Warning: None
Author on LJ: None that I know of
Author's Website:

http://www.omnifera.com/tablet/corby.htm

Link:

http://www.omnifera.com/tablet/stories/btg-site/corby-paternitytest.htm

Why This Must Be Read: I was suspicious of this story at first glance - I usually am when stories try to be "clever" about the fact that the same actor has played two different roles in intersecting universes (in this case, Robert Duncan portrayed both Melburn Jackson and the System Lord Seth). But Corby manages to work this into canon in a really interesting way, creating a believable emotional conflict for Daniel. Jack's characterization was right on target for me, and the whole story felt and read like something that could have been plopped right into an episode "epilogue." An interesting twist on a fanfic cliché.

Bound by Fate by Moonshayde (PG-13)

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

Bound by Fate by Moonshayde (PG-13)

Rec Category: Jack/Daniel Friendship

Characters: Jack O'Neill & Daniel Jackson, with brief appearances by Samantha Carter & Teal'c
Category: Jack/Daniel friendship, missing scene/episode tag
Warning: no warnings
Author on LJ: moonshayde
Author's Website: Enter the Temple

Link: Bound by Fate

Why This Must Be Read: This story takes place during the Stargate Atlantis episode Rising. It shows what may have happened between Jack and Daniel once Jack refused to allow Daniel to go to Atlantis. I loved this story because, while I realize they didn't focus on that in the episode because it was Atlantis and not SG-1, I still wanted to know what happened and why. Daniel must have been terribly disappointed, and during that scene when Weir was asking for Sheppard, Jack automatically thought she was talking about Daniel. The beginning has a little Sam and Teal'c in it, but the rest is all Jack & Daniel.

Another thing I really liked about this story is that I think moonshayde captured Jack and Daniel and the essence of their friendship in this story. Every time I read it, I feel like I'm watching a scene from the show. I liked her take on Daniel's feelings about things, and how hard Jack worked to try to figure it all out. I loved how she wove the events from the episode into this story so perfectly.

Note: For those who might be interested, there is a slash (pre-slash) version of this story here: Belonging by Moonshayde (PG-13). I liked this version a lot as well--perhaps even more than the friendship version.