A Non-Denominational Holiday Mission Report, by Smittywing, NC-17

[burningchaos.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Holiday
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Category: Genre Other
Warning: Slash, Mentions Character Death
Author on LJ: smittywing
Author's Website: http://www.offpanel.net/smittywing/
Link: http://smittywing.livejournal.com/223385.html

Why This Must Be Read:
I love Holiday fics for all the feel good gooeyness they give off and this is no exception. Smittywing’s holiday fics are some of the best. They are witty, humorous, and fun. This fic is A Christmas Carol SGA style. Rodney McKay is the Scrooge (as if anyone else could play that role), there are wonderful appearances of several background characters and some wonderful McShepness. (is that a word? Ok, well it is now.)

Who Stole My Cheese and Put It Underwater for the Fish?, by Thassalia, um..teen?

[burningchaos.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Holiday
Pairing: Gen, but depending on how you look at it, it could be slash or het
Category: Genre Other
Warning: None
Author on LJ: thassalia
Author's Website: none that I know of
Link: http://thassalia.livejournal.com/244275.html?view=4618803#t4618803

Why This Must Be Read:
This blows me away. Set at Christmas in S9 this feels more like a slice of life than a holiday fic. Truthfully, every one is so in character that you feel like you are following them around instead of reading of reading about them. I love Cameron's voice in this, and how well his inner struggle as a new team leader is affecting him. In fact, Thassalia has all the season 9 undercurrents and tones nailed in such away that you don’t want the fic to end.

Answers, by Random (PG)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Sam and Daniel friendship

Pairing: none
Categories: Sam and Daniel friendship, Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, episode related, angst, character study
Warnings: none
Author on LJ: randomfreshink
Author's Website:
Link: currently offline

Why This Must Be Read: And here's the second fic in the Sam-and-Daniel-post-descension category :) Daniel's memories aren't quite there yet for this one…

Sam and Daniel, driving in a car, having a painfully, passionately honest conversation: Why did Daniel appear to Jack and Teal'c when their lives were at stake during S6, but not to Sam when she nearly died?

The topic comes up slowly, carefully. The story, told almost entirely from Sam's POV, is highlighted by Random's usual beauty of prose and delicious insight into characterization. Even as the two of them discuss Daniel's slowly returning memories and how he's fitting back into place, Sam is struggling to control her emotions. She's hurt by not only her exclusion, but how she found out about it; to her mind, she's not only unworthy of Daniel's time, but also unworthy of Jack and Teal'c's trust, since she had to find out about it in a formal debriefing.

Once Daniel finally comprehends just what is causing Sam so much distress, it's so… well, Daniel to watch how, even without clear memories, he assesses his teammates' characters and draws the logical conclusions. By the time Sam and Daniel have finished their drive, Daniel has helped Sam understand why Teal'c and Jack apparently "shut her out" from his appearances – and then he gives her the final key, with a wonderfully unique twist into exactly why she hadn't been alone.

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"Not in Kansas Anymore" by Melyanna (PG-13)

[rigel-7.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Samantha Carter
Pairing: Sam/Jack UST, Jonas Quinn/Original Character
Category:: Action/Adventure, Team, Novel
Warning: Spoilers to early season 8, Minor Sam whumping
Author on LJ: melyanna
Author's Website: Mirror, Mirror
Link: Not in Kansas Anymore

Summary:
A routine mission goes awry during an altercation with the indigenous people, but when SG-1 is forced to flee, forces of nature prove to be the greater threat.

Why This Must Be Read:
I just love team!fic, and Melyanna does a fabulous job of writing all the individual voices of SG1 (and as a bonus, Jonas Quinn and his weather obsession also appears!) This fic features Sam within the team dynamic, and touches a little on the unresolved tension between her and O'Neill - but don't be put off by that, as it's not an overly shippy fic.

As well as having an SG1 focus, Melyanna also manages to bring back many minor characters to feature in the secondary story within the fic. This isn't just your standard 'Team members stranded on an alien planet, and have to survive until rescued' fic. There's plenty of things to enjoy, from the humour and in-jokes that are littered throughout, to the way that the character's reflect on the events within the story. There's really something for everybody.

So settle yourself in for a great read!

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"The Crossroads of Eshu" by Melyanna (PG-13)

[rigel-7.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Samantha Carter
Pairing: Sam/Jack, John/Elizabeth
Category:: Action/Adventure, Alternate Reality, Novel
Warning: Spoilers to season 8
Author on LJ: melyanna
Author's Website: Mirror, Mirror
Link: The Crossroads of Eshu

Summary: Stranded in an alternate reality, Samantha Carter is in a unique position to help when a threat looms at the edge of the galaxy. Meanwhile, she must deal with Jack O'Neill, who is grieving the loss of his wife.

Why This Must Be Read:

This fic was actually recc'ed 11 months ago in the AU category, but I just had to give it a plug again. Melyanna is a terrific writer and this particular Alternate Reality is fantastic, she just writes the best AU fics out there.

It's always interesting to see the road not taken, and in this Alternate Reality, Sam's life seems close to perfect. But this reality is missing some vital knowledge that only our Sam can provide. But she's finding it hard to keep her mind focussed on solving the problem of getting home, when so many things in this universe feel right.

This is a follow on to Not in Kansas Anymore although you don't have to have read it, as both stories are independent :D I'm reccing them both together, because they are definitely worth reading back to back.

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No Creeds for Mathematics, by Jennghis Kahn (PG)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Sam and Daniel friendship

Pairing: none
Categories: Sam and Daniel friendship, Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, episode related, angst, humor, teamy goodness
Warnings: none
Author on LJ: surrealphantast
Author's Website: mind-rot.net
Link: No Creeds for Mathematics

Why This Must Be Read: Two recs today instead of one, as both of these very different stories share the same beautiful theme.

This achingly lovely story takes place shortly after Homecoming. SG-1 is dealing with a planet that believes quite fervently in freedom of religion (pardon the pun). One of those beliefs in that the End of the World is Nigh – via ascension. And while Daniel struggles to cope with that, Sam is busy trying to sort her own feelings into order: why did Ascended!Daniel visit Jack and Teal'c, and even the Abydonians… but not her?

Despite Jack's instant elevation to wise prophet by virtue of his quoting old song lyrics, this story is all about Sam and Daniel's friendship. And when we discover why he's been so reluctant to tell her the whole truth, and exactly what that whole truth is… Well, "being blown away" is always enough to make a story very highly recommended!

( Snippet of fic... )

Five Times That Cameron Regretted Being On SG-1 by lyrstzha (R)

[rydra_wong]

Rec Category: Slash: Other - Cameron/Teal'c
Pairing: Cameron/Teal'c, implied Jack/Daniel
Category: slash
Warning: slash, reference to possible character death, apocalypse
Author on LJ: lyrstzha
Author's Website: not known
Link: Five Times That Cameron Regretted Being On SG-1

Why This Must Be Read:

This showcases what the "five things" format can do at its best, funny and hot and heartbreaking in turn. The pairings are only one small part of the fic; this is a brilliant portrait of Cameron's involvement in SG-1, from multiple possible emotional angles.