Failsafes by Luna (PG-13)

[em_kellesvig]

Show: SGA

Rec Category: Time Loops
Characters: Atlantis Team
Pairings: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Categories: Pre-Slash
Warnings: Dark Fic, Temporary Character Death
Author's Journal: Luna @ ao3.
Link: Failsafes

Why This Must Be Read: If you want a heart pounding, fast paced, terrifying fic to read this week, this one's it. It's not Halloween themed but it's just as horrifying. Classic time loop, all the tropes, done well with fantastic writing. Enjoy biting your nails.

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Setting the Mood by Sarah_M (NC-17)

[goddess47]

Show: SG-1

Rec Category: Jack O'Neill
Characters: Jack O'Neill, Samantha Carter
Pairings: Jack/Sam
Categories: Het, first time, humor
Warnings: None
Word Count: 6100
Author's Profile on AO3: AO3 Profile
Link: Setting the Mood



Author's Summary:

The moment they open the door to their room two things become immediately apparent. One is that the room is incredibly small and there is not much space available to actually give each other any space, and other is that Ethan the clerk clearly has different understanding of what a double means.

“He said there were two beds!” he glares at the lone bed occupying the majority of the floor area as though it was an offence to them both.

If it wasn’t bad enough that they’ve been caught in a thunder storm together, leaving them soaking wet, now they have to spend the night in the same motel room in the same bed. It’s the beginnings of a clichéd romance novel - and that is not what they need.



Why This Must Be Read:

Oh, come on! Who can resists "but there was only one bed!" fic. That's exactly what this is.


( snippet of fic )

East of the Sun, West of the Moon (by dossier) (M)

[mific]

Show: SGA
Rec Category: AU - specifically, cut off from Earth.
Characters: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay and many others, as below.
Categories: Het. Note that Dossier calls it Gen, and of course there are many views of what constitutes "Gen". I'll just say that both Rodney and John are in established relationships with OFCs by the end of the story, so I don't think it's Gen, myself, and readers who need John and Rodney to be together should be aware of the other, het pairings.
Warnings: There are character deaths, even of main canon characters, but not John or Rodney.
Author on DW: dossier
Author's Website: See the AO3
Link: East of the Sun, West of the Moon on AO3
Why This Must Be Read: At 145,393 words, this is a novel-length feat of extraordinary world-building. It starts with the theme I'm reccing this month - in that the story diverges from canon during "The Intruder" (S2E2) when John and Rodney fail to eradicate the Wraith computer virus in the rogue dart, and the Daedalus crashes on a hitherto unknown planet with no Gate and is stranded there. So this isn't the whole expedition being cut off, just everyone who was on the Daedalus, or who made it through the crash, anyway. The story is a detailed account of their survival and exploration of the new planet and the culture they find there, how they acculturate - or don't - and how John, Rodney and many others make it their home.

If you like Sheppard-centric stories this is for you, although Rodney has an important role as well, as do others who happened to be on that Daedalus trip, like Elizabeth, Lorne, Carson and Caldwell. The flavour is rather Islamic, from the style of names and words in the local language. But there's also a Dune-like feel, as the place where they crash is largely desert, and John develops special abilities linked to his Ancient heritage and becomes the "Chosen One", tied to the planet and its people. Despite this, the characterisations are complex and well done, and John changes a lot across the years the story covers, or rather, he's changed by the world, Dominat, and its people. The big strength of this story is the extraordinarily detailed world-building of the planet's culture and people, which is managed naturally and without noticeable info-dumps. I found it a gripping and fascinating read. It's an older fic, archived at the AO3 well after initially being posted, so it has few comments or kudos there. It deserves a lot more.

Note that it was reccd 12 years ago by sholio in the John Sheppard category, so here's a link to sholio's rec, as there's more and better-expressed praise for this story there. Just don't use the defunct link there - use the AO3 one above. The AO3 fic is titled "Chapter One" but it's the whole story in 24 chapters. There's a second in the series, but it's very different, is Elizabeth-focused, and is about grief and the assassination of her daughter, so be warned.


( snippet of fic )