A Mirror For Observers by ivorygates aka Helen Damnation (R)

[asugar.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Het
Pairing: Jack O'Neill/Danielle Jackson, Jack O'Neill/Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson/Danielle Jackson (WAIT!! COME BACK!!)
Category: Het, Daniel Jackson, Quantum mirror universes, Genderswap, Furlings, novel, Jack O'Neill/Danielle Jackson, Jack O'Neill/Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson/Danielle Jackson, Angst, Drama, Apocafic, Episode related, Dark, Long, Time travel, Jack O'Neill, George Hammond, Alternate universes, Samantha Carter, Action-adventure, Mystery
Warning: heterosexual sex, the end of the world several times over, the deaths of many major characters in many universes, wars, nuclear detonations, planetary destruction, inscrutable alien races, imprisonment, challenging philosophical concepts
Author on LJ: http://ivorygates.livejournal.com
Author's Website: http://www.kekkai.org/ivorygates/
Link: http://www.kekkai.org/ivorygates/a_mirror_for_observers.html

Why This Must Be Read: I preface with the enabling clause that I recommend this story with the utmost sincerity, intensity and the belief that reading it will improve your life. I signed up for the Het category just so that I could recommend THIS story; I was that compelled by this powerful, brilliant, original and curiously unknown masterpiece. I will be satisfied that I have paid forward my transcendent reading experience if one person reads it but is my hope that many will read it, be the better for it and pass on the recommendation.

The very long A Mirror For Observers by ivorygates is a (perhaps the) MUST-READ SG-1 story, which centers around Daniel Jackson and his parallel universe equivalent, Danielle Jackson (yes, Daniel as a woman), and those ever elusive and mysterious Furlings(!!!). ivorygates' Danielle Jackson is so memorable, multi-dimensioned and real-feeling that she surpasses for me every other canon and original SG-1 character. It's a powerful read even if one has no familiarity with SG-1 but the greater the knowledge, the richer and more meaningful it becomes. It rebuts any who sneer that there is no point to fanfiction.

( Keep going!!! )

The Balconies of Atlantis by tielan (PG)

[asugar.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Major Evan Lorne
Pairing: Teyla Emmagan/John Sheppard
Category: Major Evan Lorne, Humor, John Sheppard, Teyla Emmagan, Teyla Emmagan/John Sheppard, Het
Warning: none
Author on LJ: http://tielan.livejournal.com/
Author's Website: http://www.thedragonborn.net/
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3055625/1/

Why This Must Be Read: Yeah, I'm recommending another tielan fic (hey, she can't write a bad story!). The Balconies of Atlantis, an oldie but goodie that is so well-aged that Lorne's first name is wrong. I love how the subtlety of the John/Teyla elements and how she captures the humor and laid-back nature of both superior and subordinate officer when Lorne realizes he has to talk to John about Teyla but ends up having breakfast with Teyla and not John as he intended. You leave the fic smitten with all three of them. There are some fantastic Lorne & Teyla friendship stories out there. This may have been one of the first.

Mutual Victory by Pepper (NC-17)

[paian]

Rec Category: Jack/Sara
Pairing: Jack O'Neill/Sara O'Neill
Category: Established relationship, explicit sexual situation, het, Jack O'Neill, Jack/Sara, Sara O'Neill, SG-1
Warning: Explicit sex
Author on LJ: pepper_field
Author's Website: spaceprincess (down at the moment?) | Stargate fic tag on LJ
Link: Mutual Victory

Why This Must Be Read: Sara's been training in martial arts while Jack's away on missions, and good-natured wrestling turns into foreplay and leads to sex in this playful, passionate ficlet. Pepper has written several Jack/Sara fics (her tag for the pairing is here), and I've enjoyed them all, including this latest, which was written for the last Porn Battle. It's such a pleasure to see them being happy together.

About 765 words.

( excerpt )

Not Dead Yet by jadesfire2808

[asugar.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Major Evan Lorne
Pairing: None
Category: Major Evan Lorne, Teyla Emmagan, Gen, Teyla Emmagan & Evan Lorne friendship, Episode related, Team, Hurt/Comfort
Warning: None
Author on LJ: http://jadesfire2808.livejournal.com/
Author's Website: http://jadesfire2808.livejournal.com/129762.html
Link: http://jadesfire2808.livejournal.com/283667.html

Why This Must Be Read: This is one of those stories that's beautifully written and just makes me happy. It's primarily a lovely look at the slow evolution of the friendship between Teyla and Lorne from their first meeting through the end of season three; running throughout is a depiction of the indomitable family spirit and strong bond between all members of the Atlantis expedition (and of the entire Stargate program), built through shared experiences of secrets, pain, laughter, loss, catastrophe, worldsaving, friendship and everything that made both shows great. The gentle wry humor and quiet comfort of Teyla and Lorne's friendship takes center-stage but there's flashes of Jack O'Neill's friendship with John, Teyla's love for all of her team members, Lorne and John's mutual respect and regard, even the bond between the marines. I can't pick out which element makes this my favorite Teyla & Lorne friendship story of the many wonderful examples out there. There's so much to admire: the author's prose is appropriately spare; it's all in her choice of details and pacing. This story stuck with me long after I finished, leaving me with the best kind of warm glow.
( A snippet... )

Pegasus Ethics by the_drifter (G)

[asugar.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Major Evan Lorne
Pairing: None
Category: Major Evan Lorne, Character study, Gen, Atlantis, John Sheppard, Vignettes, Episode related, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex, Original character, Rodney McKay, Elizabeth Weir
Warning: Brief suggestion of a possible lesbian relationship, mild language
Author on LJ: http://fiercelydreamed.livejournal.com/
Author's Website: http://fiercelydreamed.talkoncorners.net/main/
Link: http://community.livejournal.com/sga_flashfic/616035.html

Why This Must Be Read: Lorne appears in 4 and 6  of the six vignettes in the taut, harsh and nicely ambiguous Pegasus Ethics and manages to steal the story out from under the other characters. I cannot forget this meditation on the many morally questionable decisions made on Atlantis and whether their ways of living and working will be their doom in the end. I admire the author's bravery and the excellence of the characterizations. This is extremely thought-provoking and powerful look at life down range in Pegasus. The analysis is painfully insightful and the interactions haunting. The last line rings true not just for the IOA, American government and the Air Force's treatment of John but that of the brass' treatment of front line military commanders in the field everywhere.

One caveat: I would hope Elizabeth has a better grasp of the fundamentals of customary international law, treaty law and United States foreign relations law than she seems to here. It's the author's only misstep in an otherwise superb work.

( A snippet of 4.... )

The Parting Glass (PG)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Daniel Jackson
Pairing: none
Categories: Daniel Jackson, Robert Rothman, team, gen, episode related, angst, drama
Warnings: none
Author on LJ: redbyrd_sgfic
Author's Website: Redbyrd's Stargate Fanfiction
Link: The Parting Glass

Why This Must Be Read: A Redbyrd ep tag is always a treat. In The Parting Glass, Redbyrd offers us a poignant, painful glimpse into one of the realities of the SGC: the many, many people who never make it back. The story is set against the backdrop of The First Ones, with Daniel's slow and horrified realization of just how many people died. There are memories of Robert Rothman, and the family and friends they've loved and lost, and the soldiers that should never remain nameless.

Everyone gets a little drunk, in the end, as Daniel recites the names of all those who were lost ever since the Tau'ri first ventured into the greater universe. And if you're a little teary-eyed by the end, too... well, I assure you you'll be in good company.

"Let's drink to SG-11," suggested Coburn.

"To all the dead," Pierce added.

"To all the dead." Daniel repeated softly. "Yes."

Light Up, Light Up by briarpipe (PG-13)

[asugar.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Major Evan Lorne
Pairing: none
Category: Major Evan Lorne, Gen, Original characters, John Sheppard, Radek Zelenka, Miko Kusanagi, Action-adventure, Atlantis, Team, Humor, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Episode related, Character study, Teyla Emmagan, Jennifer Keller, Samantha Carter, Ronon Dex, Rodney McKay, Mystery, Carson Beckett, Halling, the Athosians
Warning: Mild language
Author on LJ: http://briar-pipe.livejournal.com/ or http://briar-pipe.insanejournal.com/
Author's Website: http://briar-pipe.insanejournal.com/3437.html or http://briar-pipe.livejournal.com/tag/fic
Link: http://community.livejournal.com/sga_genficathon/8488.html

Why This Must Be Read: Light Up, Light Up cleverly expands of the meaning of the word "team" into every member of the city and shows just how vital every person is to the well-being of the whole. It's well established that I'll read anything with mundane life on Atlantis but this story feels a bit like the author had a checklist of all my likes and loves. briarpipe even satisfies my secret yen for the Atlantis kitchen staff! The author pulls together the many disparate vignettes of what's happening in the lives of both minor and major characters into such a touching portrait of the Atlantis community that the slowly building and quite suspenseful mystery snuck up on me.

I highly recommend this story, which is full of laugh-out loud funny lines (the Zelenka-McKay slap fight is a must-read) and sentences that make me ache with their beauty. The list left on the wall in Bravo Company's barracks caused me to chuckle and cry at the very same time. Teyla's scenes are heartbreaking.  Each character is fully fleshed out, allowing me sneak peeks into their back stories. Many favorites appear such as the Athosians, Zelenka, Miko, Marie Ko, the Marines, even the city of Atlantis. I love John interacting with the various members of the military and using the chair. I especially adore the author's Lorne voice; it's as wistful, snarky, sensitive and insightful as I always imagine.

If you enjoy OT4, this author is a master of team love in both the carnal and platonic sense and has many other excellent stories you should check out. I was supposed to be editing a law review article for the last couple hours (darn you seductive internets!) so I swear I'll shut up for a while now.

( A snippet... )