Kid A by Speranza (NC-17)

[justabi.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Rodney McKay
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Category: Atlantis, Angst, H/C, Romance
Warning: Slash
Author on LJ: cesperanza
Author's Website: Speranza's Fiction
Link: Kid A

Why This Must Be Read: The fact of the matter is that this is a story told from John's POV, and so rightfully one might think that it would be better in that catagory or possibly just in the pairing, but then you might miss out on how freaking awesomely this story characterizes Rodney.

"Fine, then," John says, rolling his eyes. "What would your movie be?" and he's expecting a funny answer like Weird Science or Buckaroo Banzai, but Rodney thinks about it seriously as they hike together in the hot sun, and in the end he says, "You know, I don't think my movie's been made yet."

It turns out that Rodney has hidden insight into John that one might be tempted to dismiss as out of character given his usual complete incompetence in the area of insight into... anyone, including himself, but Rodney really does get John more than anyone else. He's his usual witty, ascerbic, adorkable self in this story, but rather than bumbling about being the weakest link in relationship land like one might expect, he isn't, much to John's shock.

"We'll never speak of this again," Rodney promised, and boy, he wasn't kidding; Rodney's better than the most jaded, careerist military officer John's ever worked with at keeping a secret.

You can just so see this Rodney, so good at keeping secrets when it's means keeping something important to him, like his TOP SECRET job working with the coolest stuff in two galaxies or John. And that's just damn cool and something we don't see enough of in fic, or canon.

Stairway To Heaven by The Spike (NC-17)

[justabi.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Rodney McKay
Pairing: Rodney/John, Rodney/OFC
Category: Atlantis, Romance, Angst
Warning: Het, Slash
Author on LJ: spike21
Author's Website: The Spike's Slash Pages
Link: Stairway To Heaven

Why This Must Be Read: There are some authors that I just want to rec over and over again because they see something in the characters so perfectly that everything the write is gold. The Spike is one of them. She captures the rawness of Rodney, all the little emotional scrapes and bruises that make him the man he is today in a way that will make your heart hurt. She can invoke your sense of pathos like nobody else.

The contrasts in this story between his firsts and lasts, the way things really happened and how he tells the stories, the highs and the lows of his life are gorgeous and so real that you just know that's exactly how it happened. This story has quite possibly the most spot on Rodney losing his virginity story I've ever read. At the end of the story you will love Rodney more than you love him before you read it and that's the best thing I think I could say about any story.

The Vow by Mirabile Dictu (NC-17)

[justabi.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Rodney McKay
Pairing: Rodney/John, Rodney/Ronon, Rodney/Radek, Rodney/Teyla, mentions of John/Ronon
Category: Atlantis, H/C
Warning: Slash
Author on LJ: mirabile_dictu
Author's Website: Mirabile Dictu's Fanfiction
Link: The Vow

Why This Must Be Read: When John is captured off world and Rodney can't do anything to help get him back, Rodney starts to come unglued and everyone takes care of him by putting him to bed and sexing him up, which is awesome. I can't imagine anything bothering Rodney more than an inability to do something to help save Sheppard. They won't even let him go on the mission to rescue him, which I have to say seems more likely than what we see in canon. Rodney is so heartbreakingly John's and at the same time set adrift and clinging to anyone who offers. Which, yeah, I don't see Rodney turning down sex, but what's better is that he is so beautifully lonely without John there and actually connecting with people in a way that makes my heart all squishy.

that time of the month...

[medie]

that i come out and glare ominously at you guys. *G*

Seriously, why must everyone make me be the evil mean lady? I like being sweet and fun but...then I have to come out with Teal'c and a very large stick beat you all into submission gently encourage you all to rec.

I know, we get caught up in our day to day, completely not noticing the days fly by (seriously, September already?!) but we are again short on reccers this month and categories are definitely on the chopping block, a lot more are headed for it. I don't want to be the ominous "We are going to kill categories" but they're not getting any volunteers and it's basic. No volunteers, no recs, no recs, no categories.

With all the awesome fans we have in the fandom and watching this comm, it's not that hard to keep all the categories going every month. Four recs is the minimum. That's one a week, with the amount of stories this fandom produces we can easily do that. This should be fun for us all and believe me, no fun for me to show up and be all doom and gloom.

So yes, rec! Make fun, not gloom! *G*

You can go here to volunteer.

Omphalos by Captain Untouchable (PG)

[justabi.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Rodney McKay
Pairing: None
Category: Atlantis, Gen, Humor
Warning: Gen, Do Not Drink While Reading
Author on LJ: cpt_untouchable
Author's Website: None
Link: Omphalos

Why This Must Be Read: Besides being histerically funny, this piece has a pitch perfect Rodney in a compact little package. Rodney, naval-gazing.

"Look," Rodney said, muffled while carefully tugging his shirt on. "The universe is my meditation. When the equations and probabilities and theories work in concert, and doorways open between nebulae, and the solutions come at three a.m. and time stops until the math is right. That's my Zen. Not inner children and whalesong.

Plus? Mitzy the pole dancer. Nuff said.

Crystal Scars by Isabeau, PG-13

[avidrosette.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Jack O'Neill
Pairing: no pairing
Characters: Jack, Daniel, Sara
Category: Jack O'Neill, gen, Jack and Daniel friendship, Jack and Sara, angst, episode tag (Cold Lazarus), hurt/comfort
Warnings: suicidal ideation
Author on LJ: isabeau
Author's Website: Isabeau's site
Link: Crystal Scars

Why This Must Be Read:

In the mood for some intense emotional h/c? Give this story a try. Set after Cold Lazarus, Jack has to deal with the consequences - for himself and Sara - of the seeming reappearance and second loss of Charlie. As grief, anger, and guilt do their work on him, Jack finds himself treading a familiar, slippery path toward self-destruction. Isabeau captures the full temptation of this march to darkness: it's like a homecoming, a discovery of old footprints that were there all the time, just covered over a bit, and once brushed off, so very easy to follow again. Unvoiced words, a drink, a gun. Only Daniel's stubborn presence has the potential to block Jack's progress along this path - to interrupt the seductive, deathbound dance and create the possibility of a new one.

With taut, powerful writing, this fic manages a low-key yet extraordinarily intense capture of emotion, like liquid under pressure. Always showing rather than telling, it catches Jack's reactions with great precision and believability. One part where the author shows that Jack can't say - cannot allow himself to speak - what he's feeling was especially painful and effective. The relief the reader feels at Daniel's persistence here is tremendous. I had to pry my white knuckles from the chair after reading this.

( Fic Excerpt )