Depressing but beautiful and somehow hopeful

[clannuisnigh.livejournal.com]

So, Ive just finished rereading (for the fourteenth time) Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose and your cowboy days are over, and anyone who has read them will know they are awe-inspiring examples of the story genre mentioned above. If anyone knows any others that they would like to recommend to me I would love to continue my journey, alternatively if you want to suggest a story which is more hopeful but changes you as you read it these are equally wonderful to me also.......skips off to read cartography by touch

Comments

[second-banana.livejournal.com]

My favorite fic of this type hands down is My Father Before Me by telleer: http://telleer.livejournal.com/326670.html

[clannuisnigh.livejournal.com]

oh my goodness i had forgotten this one, reading already! thank you

[kirinin.livejournal.com]

Since I love this story too, and with all my heart, I clicked on my 'bestofothebest' tag in delicious and sought out similar stories.

First, there's Liminal (http://www.alyse.info/sesa_files/liminal.htm), by viva_gloria. Beautiful, dreamlike story of the 'Lanteans building a home together after many are left without in post-WWII Britian. But when the ghosts start appearing, along with the phantasm of a city-in-the-sea, and mysterious crystals that light to the touch of John's hand, Elizabeth and her people must embark on one more journey...

Then there's rheanna27's stunning and gorgeous 15 Days (http://rheanna27.livejournal.com/91682.html), "You will forget your degrees and the prizes you've won, your birthday and your social security number, your high school and the name of your cat. They will tell you it is a parasite. You will have to ask what that means." Probably only hopeful because we know how it ends.

Legion the Things I Would Give to Oblivion (http://www.eternalvox.net/~auburn/LegionOblivion.html) by auburnothenna is probably so well-known that it's useless to rec, but I figured what the hey: When the Wraith attack Atlantis, the Daedalus appears at the eleventh hour. Sheppard and McKay attempt to interface with Atlantis, which downloads things into their brains, but that doesn't help either. Things get grim before the remaining survivors reach earth. Tense, difficult, good.

Friendshipper's the Seat of Talents (http://community.livejournal.com/sga_genficathon/21610.html) really has a very similar flavor to what you're looking for, complete with Rodney angst. "...with Rodney... you either hated the guy, or you knew him... And now Rodney had been hurt and John couldn't tell where or how badly. Had looked for it—a scar, a wound, an amputation; and when he didn't see anything, all he could think was internal injury. That his friend was going to bleed out, invisibly, with no way to stop it."

Children's Classics (http://community.livejournal.com/mckay_sheppard/2212654.html) is a great one, but admittedly less complex than the others... mostly because it's shorter. Rodney and John are captured offworld. Every morning and night, the prisoners pass by John's window, singing. He just knows that if he can recognize the song, it's been a good day; if he can't, it hasn't.

After Thousand Aves Told (http://stillane.livejournal.com/56542.html) is one of my favorite bits of under-appreciated fic. "They search the Ancient database, but it’s like trying to google for the tune of a song. If they had lyrics, maybe, but ‘ghost’ doesn’t translate and ‘mysteriously appearing visions of dead people’ isn’t terribly successful, either."

One of my all-time favorites has that same bittersweetness to it: Pegasus Literature 101 (http://community.livejournal.com/remixredux08/19504.html). When Miko reconfigures the 'Gate to translate the written word, Satedan and Athosian classic literature floods through Atlantis, teaching and devastating its occupants.

The Road to Nevada (http://lamardeuse.dreamhost.com/sg/theroadtonevada.html), by Lamardeuse, is one of those stories that is subtly fascinating... I can't actually put my finger on what makes it so good. Rodney designs WWII planes, and John flies. But there's also Wraith, and Teyla on the Indian reservation, and little green men.

In Come and Join the Dance (http://mirabile-dictu.slashcity.net/SGA/Dance.html), Rodney loses a foot and moves out to the mainland with the Athosians. But the story is so much more than that, injury coupled with redemption. Lovely.

...more in next post.

[kirinin.livejournal.com]

And one of my all time favorites is All the Things Rodney Never Was (http://sardonicsmiley.livejournal.com/36940.html). (You can tell that I, too, enjoy the Rodney whumpage.) Disaster befalls Atlantis, the SGC, Earth, in the form of a new enemy. Rodney is all that's left of the original power structure - so he must do Elizabeth's job, and John's, and Carson's, and Teyla's, and Ronon's, and his own.

Tannhauser Gate (http://trinityofone.unrealwords.com/tannhauser.html) may be too dark for this list; but it's definitely good enough to be in such company. "In retrospect, he knew there was something a little odd about it. General O'Neill casually letting him follow him into a top secret government facility, then leaving him alone to wander. Don't touch anything: nudge nudge, wink wink."

Another definite match on tone is toftfroggy's All These Places We Have Met (http://community.livejournal.com/sga_flashfic/565739.html). Rodney slips through parallel worlds, but each new universe re-sets Rodney's memories and sense of self, and the universes grow darker as he goes. And where he goes, John follows.

I have some more, but I'm on my way out the door so I'll just post the links without descriptions. Think of it as a grab-bag!

Ardhanarishvara (http://www.eternalvox.net/~auburn/Ardhanarishvara_1-12.html)

Unidentified (http://fiercelydreamed.livejournal.com/6933.html)

Athosian for Beginners (http://trinityofone.livejournal.com/122785.html)

DADT, Damyata, Dayadhvam (http://trinityofone.livejournal.com/62721.html)

Transference (http://semivowel.livejournal.com/1888.html)

...thanks for this. You've made me revisit pretty much all of my hard-core favorites! I'm sure that many of them are classics, and so you'll have read them, before; however, I do hope that some of them are new to you.

-K

[clannuisnigh.livejournal.com]

thank you thank you thank you - this will keep me going for many an hour/day/week as I obssessively read and reread wonderfully brilliantly excellently marvellous post which I will bookmark and come back to repeatedly. Enjoy wherever your going and thanks again

[kirinin.livejournal.com]

You are quite welcome! :)

[altyronsmaker.livejournal.com]

fiercelydreamed's Unidentified (http://fiercelydreamed.livejournal.com/8714.html), Coda (http://fiercelydreamed.livejournal.com/9218.html) and Rebuilding Babel (http://community.livejournal.com/sga_flashfic/610119.html) (not related to the other two) are absolutely, stunningly BRILLIANT! Suck you in and wring you out and knock you out brilliant.

Also, Salt of the Earth (http://www.area52hkh.net/asd/dasha/saltof01.php). Rodney is wounded, a seriously life threatening injury that puts him out of commission for a long time. The struggles he goes through, the physical therapy, finding his place on the team again. Golly. Just Really terrific storytelling there.

The Theory of Everything (http://rheanna27.livejournal.com/68371.html) by rheanna27 is a great longer story about how Rodney risks everything he is in order to save John. It's wonderfully told, heartwrenchingly beautiful, and ends on a happy, hopeful note. This is one that I've read over and over.

Catalysis (http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=13004&index=1) by Chandri MacLeod. Rodney's ordered back to Earth for some R&R after being held hostage. Imagine repressed PTSD with taciturn and yet comforting John Sheppard by his side. And Jeannie's featured pretty heavily, as well.

I Am Your Image Dressed as the World (http://mirabile-dictu.slashcity.net/SGA/Image.html) by mirabile_dictu. I've only read this one time, but holy smokes, it sticks with me. It's just really well written, hooks you in, confuses, then, slowly, oh so slowly, reveals the details of why John is doing what he's doing, and just what it means for Himself, Rodney, and all of Atlantis.

There. Whew! I think that'll keep ya going for a while!

[clannuisnigh.livejournal.com]

thank you, thank you thank you - now that I have an entire day free to devote, I am off to read them all (skips happily)an incredible collection

[altyronsmaker.livejournal.com]

Holy smokes. I thought of some more!

Logopetria (http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=13236&chapter=1&textsize=1) by lavvyan. Rodney loses the ability to speak. When he tries, things that approximate what he means fall out. John keeps them. It also has a companion piece: Eloquence (http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=13240) by taste_is_sweet. Both are excellent. ETA: Wraithbait seems to be down, so here's Logopetria (http://lavvyan.livejournal.com/210950.html?thread=5468166) at Lavvyan's journal.

No Light and Transient Cause (http://sheafrotherdon.livejournal.com/289117.html). An Atlantis secedes from the Milky Way Galaxy. Nothing at all like Written By The Victors, (which is damn fine in and of itself), but just as good, if a little darker.

[asugar.livejournal.com]

I assume you've already read those two stories' sequels too?

I love the exact type of story you are looking for too. I think almost anything by vain_glorious will fit the bill. My favorites are Unmanifest Destiny (http://community.livejournal.com/stargateficrec/1227545.html), The Undone Years, (http://community.livejournal.com/stargateficrec/1274874.html), The Year of The Jubilee (http://community.livejournal.com/stargateficrec/1241956.html), and The Light of Compassion (http://community.livejournal.com/stargateficrec/1300662.html).

[clannuisnigh.livejournal.com]

ooh, thank you hadnt even heard of some of these before! i have such a wonderful evening of reading in front of me, god i lobe saturdays

[jya-bd-cp-ttgb.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of Cowboy Days...might I ask for the link while offering none in return?

[clannuisnigh.livejournal.com]

absolutely, still dont know how to link within a post so ill just give you this http://www.butcheredart.net/Fiction/YourCowboyDays.html and say to go and read immediately, as it is amazing

[jya-bd-cp-ttgb.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

If you don't mind my recommending one of the fics I co-wrote (as Leah) with springwoof, then you might like The Body Holographic (http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=7849&warning=12). I'll say as someone who helped write it that it's very sad, but does have a hopeful ending (very hopeful in my opinion, but not everyone agrees....).

(Just FYI: I wrote "Children's Classics", which is recommend above. I'm chuffed someone liked it enough to mention it, and I hope you enjoy it if you decide to read it.)

[clannuisnigh.livejournal.com]

thank you for the rec, and hadnt known that you had co-written, but since you did I can honestly say I bow humbly in your presence - absolutely amazing story,

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

::blush!::

Thank you. :D

Believe it or not, I'd forgotten this one I'd written: Down to the Bones (http://community.livejournal.com/sga_flashfic/818243.html#cutid1). Angsty but ends well. ;->

[clannuisnigh.livejournal.com]

gof......i cant even spell after reading that - what i meant to say was god! amazing and lovely and upsetting all at once, fit the request perfectly!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

::Bows::

Thank you kindly. :) I'm very glad you enjoyed it.

[zoryanna.livejournal.com]

I'm not a crier, but the ending just snuck up on me and undid me entirely.

http://www.hawksong.com/~thammill/SGA_Fic/good_man.htm