"Salve Regina" by Sarah T

[tielan]

Rec Category: Sheppard/Teyla
Pairing: John/Teyla
Category: drama, angst
Warning: het
Author on LJ: harriet_spy
Author's Website: AlienCorn.net
Link: Salve Regina

Why This Must Be Read: I have a fondness for stories that make full use of Teyla's unique gifts and abilities, and stories that put the angst-whammy on John. This one does both, very impressively. I love that the story unfolds and the picture comes clear, piece by piece - and it's a brilliant, haunting picture. It doesn't have a happy ending - it's not even open to a happy ending - but it's an immensely satisfying story all the same, exquisitely true to the characters and their responsibilities and duties.

That was why he had never made his move, either. Because after all that time, he had finally met the right woman, and what made her right was that she would always choose the important things over him.

"Seawall" by wojelah

[tielan]

Rec Category: Sheppard/Teyla
Characters: John, Teyla
Category: episode epilogue, friendship
Warning: none
Author on LJ: wojelah
Author's Website: LiveJournal
Link: Teyla knows the weight of the ocean.

Why This Must Be Read: I love how this fic focuses on Teyla's experience with the Wraith Queen after the events of Submersion. Her genetic memory of sensations through her Wraithgene, and her struggle to remain who she is in the now and not be subsumed by that are fluidly described and the reader is immersed in the language. I like how John breaks through to her - in action rather than in words, and in being rather than in action. Definitely an atmospheric read.

Eat Your Heart Out, Peggy Fleming by Domenika Marzione (PG by reccer)

[sholio]

Rec Category: John Sheppard

Pairing: none
Category: Atlantis, gen, drama, team, humor
Warning: none
Author on LJ: miss_porcupine
Author's Website: Stargate Atlantis Fanfiction
Link: Eat Your Heart Out, Peggy Fleming

Why This Must Be Read: A routine trading mission to a frozen planet (vague shades of Le Guin's iceworld Winter from The Left Hand of Darkness) leads John and his team to hidden technology and danger. This is a solidly written and very engrossing story, made up about equally of one helping of cheerful team-fic, one serving of action/adventure, and one slice of Pegasus Galaxy life. There's even some h/c, of sorts, in the mix. The world and the plot are detailed, well-constructed and believable; the interactions between John and his team and their backup marines are brisk and funny and delightful. Overall, it paints an excellent picture of John in the field, with a particularly good look at his competent-commander side on a world where keeping a level head is much more important than finding something to shoot at or something to blow up. (Not that the Atlanteans can't accomplish the latter, of course, even on a world where their primary enemy is the weather!)

As a random side benefit, this story also has some of the most hilarious descriptions of Rodney in winter gear ever.

( Snippet of fic )

Pain and Death and Pain by Bernice (G by reccer)

[sholio]

Rec Category: John Sheppard & Rodney McKay friendship

Pairing: none
Category: Atlantis, humor, gen
Warning: none
Author on LJ: iibnf
Author's Website: iiBNF Press
Link: Pain and Death and Pain

Why This Must Be Read: This short ficlet is just about as adorable as it is possible for a little ficlet to be. It's not in any way OOC or sappy, just a cute, funny snippet of life on Atlantis.