mountainonfire

Wow, it's been exactly FOUR months since I've last posted here...The problem with not reading much fanfic is that I have no reason to post in a journal dedicated to talking about the fanfic I've read. ^^; Though it seems silly for me to post after such a long time, since I'm using this journal as my own archive I figured I should record my impressions when I've actually read something worth talking about. :P

Checkmate 'Verse by beattitude is a series of fics about John being turned into a cat. I enjoyed it enough to read all the fics, but couldn't quite squee about it. I think it's too precious and sentimental at times? And heavy-handed on the John/Rodney (I kept thinking "bestiality EWWW" because of the heavy-handedness). Still, lots of fun.

Straight as a Circle by toomuchplor, on the other hand, I can unreservedly praise to the high heavens. Basically, John wakes up straight. It sounds gimmicky, but the humor and humanity with which this seemingly crack idea is handled is astonishing. The details of the dissonance when John has to cope with suddenly becoming physically attracted to the female body while his mind is still full of almost-forty years of being gay gay gay are funny, yes, but realistic. And the way his established relationship with Rodney is handled is just lovely--romantic without becoming saccharine.

Number of fics in this post: 2
Running total: 517

How to Have A Relationship Without Even Trying by ladycat777 is a McKay/Sheppard college AU porn that's as funny and adorable as a college AU should be. This is mostly thanks to the joys of neurotic Rodney POV, and the dorky sweetness that pervades it all.

Not Your Average Imaginary Friend by very_rotten is the first of four fics set in an AU world where a young John had an imaginary friend named Rodney...It's a bit simplistic, but in a sweet, child-like way that really works. The author stays in that Calvin and Hobbes inspired fantasy mode all the way.

Fair by Minnow is a wonderful McKay/Sheppard AU in which John is a fairy. Yes, really. And it's awesome, and the world and what happens makes sense, and there are consequences and everything. Love love love this one.

The last fic above was part of undermistletoe, the Smallville/Stargate: Atlantis/Supernatural Holiday Challenge. Checked out a bunch of the other SGA fics and found some great ones (along with the usual ho-hum ones, of course):

Live Lessons Learned From Aliens by eleveninches is as inventive and fun as usual. She really is good at setting up and letting loose in a world more like a children's playhouse version of the real thing, but not letting things get too stupid or silly.

It's always the quiet ones by dzurlady is, um, a pretty retarded evil overlord story. Lots of fun, though. Incidental femslash, very very minor.

Movie of the Week by kitsune_tsuki is Rodney's POV as the team goes through a mission filled with bad movie cliches. Gen.

Misinterpretations by glae is a McKay/Sheppard AU loosely based on The Bodyguard. I've never seen the movie, so I can't compare. Well, overall it's a rather weak story (the story jerks around too much and the characters aren't very consistent...) but I mention it because I thought the scene between John and Alex was very well done.

Sandstorms by tahariel is a very enjoyable McKay/Sheppard AU that...Was the kind of far fetched that would actually sort of make sense in a bad sci-fi show (like SGA), except for the gay part.

Tail As Old As Time by miriad has Rodney turned into a mouse. I really liked the beginning, of Rodney's impressions and how he settles into life as a mouse. The end, not so much. It was a bit of a let down after the charming beginning. :P

A Very Merry Blah Blah Blah by tielan is the cutest, sweetest team Christmas fic. Possibly too sentimental, but...I don't care. Go team!

Number of fics in this post: 10
Running total: 515

A Hindsight sequel!!!!! Personal Item by rageprufrock makes me want more more more...

Lead Casket by Sophonisba is a gen John-centric entry to the Folklore Challenge at sga_flashfic that apparently crossovers a ton of different shows/books. It's...confusing, but in a very compelling way. I love the tone and flow of the fic.

I was bored so went poking in the harlequin_sga comm. I've sort of moved away from the totally AU, romantic, OOC, over-the-top fics that SGA is so full of, but it was fun indulging in them again. Some of the ones I thought were pretty good (and didn't totally disgust me and make me abandon the story before the end):

The Proposition by jane_elliot is a McKay/Sheppard Harlequin AU that really made me nostalgic for the gobs of Harlequin AU I had ingested way back when. Very very AU, very very Harlequin, very very silly and over the top...But pretty entertaining, as long as the reader can take the very OOC John characterization (which I would think is the biggest problem of the fic).

Unconventional Beauty by jane_elliot is another Mckay/Sheppard AU felt a little less Harlequin and silly, and was a pretty nice twist on the Beauty and the Beast story.

Reading Absolute Corruption by Cypher made me laugh because I had just heard of the evil overlord Daniel episode from SG-1 and hear was an AU set in that world. Evil overlord Daniel is pretty damn creepy and scary because he seems so mild-mannered. Nice tie in with Rising, too.

Number of fics in this post: 5
Running total: 505

14valentines is what started as rageprufrock's personal tradition to highlight women's causes/issues turned lj comm. She personally will be posting a story each day from February 1 through 14, and this year others will be contributing as well. I haven't checked out all the entries, but two I love so far:

Bang is rageprufrock at her best, a mix of humor, madness, and pure joy. In this one, John is not a battered woman boyfriend.

First, the News by seigeofangels is five things edited out of Rodney McKay's Fresh Air interview. So, so him.

Some older fics:

Some Guys Have All the Luck by eleveninches is the bestest McKay/Sheppard DADT fic ever, set after The Return. Fear the graphing calculators of bullying! Rodney's focus on sex is adorable, too.

The Principle of Exclusion by jenn (seperis) is a Mensa AU that...I enjoyed and disliked, probably in equal parts. Mensa AU John is pretty damn bizarre, but it felt so beyond out of touch with canon (which...is the point? total fannish indulgence?) that it was hard for me to even begin to do the wholesale swallowing of premise I usually try to do with AUs. The author has a way with words, which is probably the only reason I managed to get through the whole thing.

Orientation by ltlj is just team love. Well, team minus Ronon love, but still. John is messed up and Rodney and Teyla try to coax him out. It's really cute, since Rodney's attempts at trying to soothe and/or convince John really aren't helpful. And Teyla is such a big sister. XD

And fanart:

pentapus's pic of Vanrin from ltlj's Vanrin's Story is to die for cute. XD

Number of fics in this post: 5
Running total: 500

Summer House and Shore Leave are fun Eureka/SGA McKay/Sheppard crossovers by rageprufrock. I love how all the scientists in Eureka had a "Rodney McKay" story to tell, and how Rodney was totally whipped. Sabbatical, the latest installment, takes a darker turn but is still very, very tasty.

Near the Earth, to Touch by sheafrotherdon is the latest and greatest from her A Farm in Iowa AU world. Um...I really liked this, and the reason I want to flail at it is spoilerish. ( So under a cut it goes )

You're a Good Man, John Sheppard by smittywing is a lovely gen WWI fighter pilot AU of the best type (hm, that statement makes it sound like there are many WWI fighter pilot AUs...and there aren't. Why not??). The details, as well as the general feel of the fic, really make this story.

Irony and The Numbers are trinityofone's take on MENSA-verse (as it is apparently called now in fandom?), centering on Rodney and John respectively. Basically gen with "subtext" (easily ignorable), it...is odd. I dislike it in a way because it really made me feel like MENSA-verse was wrong, but at the same time the way she presented the characters and the backgrounds she provided was intriguing.

Foreign Affairs by Victoria Custer (ltlj) is a continuation of the wonderful John/OMC story Hunting Parties (and some others). I love the weird tribal stuff, the misunderstandings, and the fabulous resolution. Wish there were more of these fairy tales grounded in reality type fics. Also comes with cute (spoilerish) art by pentapus. XDXD

Non-fanfic:

Moodtheme alternates by fan_this using spaggel's artwork are just...too...cute..."Surprised" and "disappointed" in particular just kill me.

John Sheppard as a dancing Christmas elf should not be as amusing as it was...Or maybe I'm just really REALLY tired.


Number of fics in this post: 8
Running total: 495

Unexpected by sheafrotherdon is McKay/Sheppard, snuggling. The details are...adorable.

Snippet in "the genre of let's-cozy-up-'cause-baby-it's-cold-outside" by dogeared, John + Rodney, sweet.

Number of fics in this post: 2
Running total: 487

Comment-fic about waking up by vee_fic, John + Rodney gen. Short, rather pointless, but inordinately pleasing nonetheless. I love their dynamics, John's reaction, and the ambivalent ending.

Spirit of the Place by idyll is a coda to Solum Patriae, taking place after The Return - Part 1. Ronon-centric, with team and references to Sateda and a wonderful feeling of place. I didn't read the note that this fic was a coda to another fic and wouldn't make much sense on its own only after I read the fic. Yes, it refers to things that confused me, but the characterizations and interactions were so solid I didn't really care when I read it. But after reading Solum Patriae, I...was delighted in team and things that are lost and found and...a very nice Ronon-centric fic. I would read the the fics in order, yes, but I don't think it hurt me too much in the end.

Empathy by bibliotech is gen, John-centric, and hilarious. I really can't say much without spoiling things.

Number of fics in this post: 4
Running total: 485

gaiaanarchy always has really cool ideas executed skillfully, and Alexandria is another different fic that explores new territory. Spoilers for Epiphany, The Misbegotten, and Common Ground, it is an outsider's view of something that takes a while to piece together (well, it took me a while...). There's some slash, but it's almost incidental, IMO.

Take Clothes Off As Directed by helenish is a McKay/Sheppard BDSM-based fic inspired by Xanthe's extremely well-known and recc'ed fic General & Dr. Sheppard. Frankly, BDSM is not my thing and I have never been able to finish Xanthe's fic. But I figured I'd at least give helenish's fic a try because it's been a while since she's written a fic fic (or so it feels...). I enjoyed it because it was very matter-of-fact, explored some very interesting issues that could arise in such a universe, and had that awkwardness between John and Rodney that they have to flounder around and work through I so liked in Your Inevitable Unhappy Ending. And possibly the most important point for me: It wasn't graphic and didn't dwell on the sex.

Ryan Charles has a sequence of three more or less gen (with some John/Teyla vibes going on) fics that feel almost like gritty sci-fi novels at Doorways Fanfiction. The writing style has this distant feel that I rarely get from fanfic and that I associate with published novels. It sucked me in with action, adventure, cool world-building, and consequences. I was trying to think of a word to describe the stories, and I finally came up with the perfect one: Gripping.

And some fanart: John and Rodney as Calvin and Hobbes by anna_luna is just so cute! *_*

Number of fics in this post: 3
Running total: 481

I Believe in Wishful Thinking by pentapus is a wild ride of utter insanity held together by the bootstraps and sheer Rodney bullheadedness. It has Rodney going on a wild goose chase based on an anonymously published article in a science journal and a random romance novel full of sex. Sheer and utter joy.

Number of fics in this post: 1
Running total: 478

Stranger Things Have Happened by ESCotLoE is an adorable John and Rodney friendship fic from an outsider POV.

Er, not a fic but a fic idea by seperis in this post:

I have imagined out the John Sheppard presidential campaign, with his uberattack dog campaign manager, the ultra scary Rodney McKay who once got arrested for knocking out Geraldo on national TV. There's actually only two parts I wnat to write, which makes it easier to resist--the first, with his running mate Teyla Emmagen and former president Elizabeth Weir, being handed vicodin and rum as they watch Rodney singlehandedly yelling down a Republican crowd in New Mexico and scaring the other presidential candidate into crying hysterically, and the second, where Rodney and John are having a knock-down drag out about exactly what John is going to *be* as a president, since he was chosen more on his war record, good looks, straight male white Americanness than say, his stand on anything.

I can imagine Rodney doing his role justice. XD

Pretty team fanart by mutecornett

Number of fics in this post: 1
Running total: 477

The John Sheppard Owner's Guide by SGAFan. READ IT. *cackles*

Also, tons of amazingly good tags for The Return, Part One. I love the proliferation of good non-slash (or only mildly slashy) tags for this episode. I seem to be avoiding NC-17 fics lately....Too much been there done that or/and OOC-ness, perhaps? -_-

Number of fics in this post: 1
Running total: 476

The Gravity Feels Funny Here and the Clock is Wrong by princess_bunny is hilarious. If looking for a John and Rodney even remotely canon-based, don't go here. It's a McKay/Sheppard tag to The Return, Part One featuring flaming queen John and Rodney being very very bitchy. Like, mean bitchy. Stereotypical PMS-y bitchy. But once I got over my indignance and thought of the characters as reverse-pod people John and Rodney, I was amused. Very. The dialogue and narration just crackles.

Number of fics in this post: 1
Running total: 475

One of the best things about fanfiction is the ability to explore different and intriguing possibilities. Two fics that take a really different road I read recently:

Failsafe by ana_grrl is a McKay/Sheppard that features, well, a failsafe. It's creepy, and grim. The execution left me slightly wanting, but still...Cool concept. And I love the way it begins. ( What bothered me. )

Sweeten My Imagination by hotspur_18 is quite a different take on the alternate universe from McKay and Mrs. Miller. ( Minor squee )

Number of fics in this post: 2
Running total: 474

I just learned, to my eternal amusement, of the existence of mensa_au. It's a comm dedicated to the alternate universe from the episode McKay and Mrs. Miller. I don't think I can read the smutty our SGA/mensa!SGA fics, though. Just...no.

Applied Mathematics by trinityofone is a wonderful McKay/Sheppard mensa_au fic that gives great Mensa!John. She's one of those writers who, for me, just nails it at times. And this is one of those times. I love the almost neurotic sense of urgency and calculation that is Mensa!John. And Rod? He's complex. Nice fleshing out of an intriguing character that is familiar but not.

About a Boy by _inbetween is a cool little gen fic for the sga_flashfic School Challenge that I think is better read cold. ( So additional comments are under the cut. )

Background Noise by spark_variance is a gen fic that..I can't quite describe. The summary: "One thing that Rodney McKay has learned about John Sheppard is that all of his words should simply be considered background noise. But sometimes background noise shouldn't be ignored." I love how Rodney analyzes the severity of situations by subtle signals from John. His disorientation is very well done.

And fanart! McKay Portrait by first_rain, in pencil, lovely profile of a young looking Rodney.

Number of fics in this post: 3
Running total: 472

Rec'd by seperis, Old Soldiers Die Hard by friendshipper is a story that uses a device I'm not particularly fond of--it is written in the form of a letter. And not any kind of letter, but a letter written by an OC to an OC. But the author manages to bring the letter writer to life, and I laughed reading her description of "30B." I...kind of wish she had chosen the other way for the fic to end, but I have no complaints about this ending. I love non-slash yet very close relationship portrayals. I love beautiful intimate moments, especially when narrated by someone who can't really understand all that the moment entails but anyone familiar with SGA would so get.

I jump at in_wintertime's fics because they are always different, in addition to being well written and gripping. I may not always agree with the perspective she takes, but they never fail to amaze me for taking an unknown road. Same thing with her newest fic, Beauty Sleeping. It is a John/Atlantis (my true OTP?) that is...wow. I love fics that mix fairy tales, and this one does it oh so well. I love the Atlantis POV, and how the author describes her awakening in such terms as I'd never even imagined before.

Lie by Omission by mardahin is a short Lorne-centric piece that touched on a subject I like to read about: the way childhood dreams and ideals are tempered by reality. Perhaps a bit too straightforward in presentation, but I still liked it.

They Sing to Remember by khriskin is a really short fic that describes our characters in a mythical way. For the most part fics like that never worked for me, but this one did. Lovely lyricism. Gen.

Unusual Activity by khriskin is a fun little gen Rodney & John gen drabble.

The Return offers so much possibility for fabulous tags:

The Unforgiving Bend of John Sheppard's Spine by sheafrotherdon is adorable and hilarious. It's McKay/Sheppard, but I kind of like pretending it isn't and kind of ignore the last several lines simply so that I can imagine this scene actually happening in the show and laughing my brains out.

No Particular Month by pentapus is more great Rodney and John interaction with some slash (that can easily be ignored). Thank you SGA for the phone call and the planes and all that.

All That's Said and Done by seldear is John's thoughts towards the end of the episode. OMG much love for his love for Atlantis and team.

Number of fics in this post: 8
Running total: 469

( it's been a while )

Number of fics in this post: 10
Running total: 461

It's amazing how much real life can suck a person's energy and attention away. I haven't read a single SGA fanfic in far too long. Just thinking about attempting to catch up makes me tired. *sighs* In any case, the two I did finally read certainly roused strong reactions from me:

Them Other Boys Don't Know How to Act by eleveninches is the inevitable McKay/Sheppard tag for Irresistible, but with a wonderfully hilarious tone. I probably would've hated this fic if it had been done seriously, but...instead I almost died laughing. I love both Rodney and John, they are so adorable. Especially Rodney's mouth for saying whatever pops into his head, and John's for being filthy.

Goodbye by Jenn is a new chapter in her Strangerverse series. I was not very impressed by this at all. ( More under the cut )

Number of fics in this post: 2
Running total: 451

Rodney McKay Meets the Gandorans. A Squashbuckler. by denynothing1 is a cute little post-mission team thing. The interaction between them is just perfect, and absolutely hilarious.

Tied in Anxious Bondage by Yin
In general I've come to have a slight aversion for PWPs and bondage when it comes to McKay/Sheppard (possibly due to overdosing on the bad ones), so I wasn't sure why I clicked on this fic. I'm glad I did, because it made me smile. I like their dynamic, it's playful and friendly and not so...overly romantic or smutty. It feels more grounded and real. I did like that they were taking things slow, instead of falling into the big Gay Sex from the get-go. Because I enjoyed it, I was a bit irritated by little things like certain adjectives and turns of phrase because they seemed out of place to me...but those irritations were minor compared to the sweetness of this fic.

Everything is John's Fault by elgatoneun is a McKay/Sheppard set after Irresistible. I enjoyed their conversation a lot, except for the parts when they were having sex. I adored the parts where they were snarking each other gently and familiarly. The sex parts seemed too cliched to me.

More sga_flashfics Secret Superpower Challenge:

Does Whatever a Spier Can by kellifer_fic is silly gen crack. I like fics made up entirely of dialog, and this was just cute (if totally unbelievable).

Two entries focusing on Teyla and her connection with the Wraith: Sense by purple_cube and Her Power by poetryfiend. Neither were really wow material, but both were short and had some interesting things going for them.

Number of fics in this post: 5
Running total: 449

Lemon Drops by stillane is a McKay/Sheppard tag for The Pegasus Project. I had to grin reading this one, it's so cute. An adorable take on the whole lemon thing.

Miles Away by regann is another tag for The Pegasus Project, this time with Cameron and John being cousins. Again, cute with the added warmth of family.

The Upside of Having Wraith DNA by tzi and zaganthi is McKay/Sheppard tentacle porn. It wasn't hot so much as really, really funny (in a tentacle porn kind of a way). It wasn't good in a serious way like An Aesthetic Solitary Thing. It mentioned Urotsukidoji, for god's sake. How can it not be cheesy and funny? Poor John. I love how he tries so hard not to have a freak out.

There'll Be Peace When You Are Done by spark_force is a Lorne-centric gen piece, basically his POV during a mission gone wrong. I kind of like it, but I also kind of find it lacking. I felt that it was too much straight narration without enough of his personality coming through.

Charis by Ladycat is basically a McKay/Sheppard PWP. The connection between them is very vibrant, and I like Rodney knowing what he wants and going for it.

More Secret Superpower Challenge at sga_flashfics:

Two Minutes by blue_underwing is a fantastic look at Rodney's superpower. I love the details, the meticulate analysis, the repetition of "two minutes" and how it's both incredibly short yet incredibly critical.

Maybe If It Had Been Radioactive... by Isis (isiscolo) is a gen John drabble. Really, really cute.

A Mixture of Madness by audaxfemina is a Carson-centric gen fic set after Misbegotten. Carson deals with his ghosts, literally. A non-angsty exploration of some of the ethical problems that the show doesn't quite address well.

For the Good of All Mankind by apple_pi is a McKay/Sheppard fic in which Rodney gains a useful yet annoying superpower. Love how he bemoans it in his Rodney way even as he utilizes it in a variety of situations, including the smutty kind.

46 seconds by bibliotech is...um...geez, I don't even know how to describe it. It's basically a John POV fic with dry, funny commentary.

Number of fics in this post: 10
Running total: 444

( playing catch-up sucks )

Number of fics in this post: 20
Running total: 434