Secret Favourites McShep

[dornfelder.livejournal.com]

 Hi there,

I've been reading SGA stories for a while now, and I now want to ask for your secret favourite McShep stories, the ones you think didn't get enought love from fandom, the hidden gems, and brilliant new reads.

I'd like first-time, post-series fics, and those who have a Rodney you think especially IC. I prefer canon setting, but canon AUs are okay, too. Also, I'd like you to tell me your favourite authors (who have preferably written more than one or two good SGA stories).

 

Comments

Secret favourite McShep

[endeni]

1. fanfic + graphics:
Conjunction by Pollitt - "The third time that Rodney died in as many weeks, John decided enough was enough."
Nevermind by aesc and newkidfan - The last time he lost someone behind enemy lines, John had a single helicopter to get him back. This time he has a warship.

2. Episodetags:
Post 'The Last Man'- Dream a Little Dream by Tzzzz - Rodney asked Carson if he wanted to dream. He didn't bother to ask John.
Post 'Grace Under Pressure' - Very, Very Improbable by Lacey McBain - "Beautiful Air Force Lt. Colonels of either gender didn’t just show up and start kissing him without the universe punishing him in some way."

Re: Secret favourite McShep

[mezzo-cammin.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow - thanks for these! Just when you think you've read everything out there...

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

It's no secret that I love to reread velocitygrass's Every Day in Every Way (http://sgabigbang.talkoncorners.net/?view=fic&id=8) (Big Bang fic, McShep, NC-17) at regular intervals (and always in one go; it's one of those fics you can't put down even if you know it inside-out already) — check out the trailer (http://sgabigbang.talkoncorners.net/?view=art&id=21) made by mamoru22 if you need more convincing :-) — and just plain love julad's fics (only Thicker Than Water (http://www.yearningvoid.net/stories/julad/000086.html) is McShep while The Secret Life of Scientists (http://www.yearningvoid.net/stories/julad/000082.html) — which is brilliant with its humor! — and Absurdity Theory (http://www.yearningvoid.net/stories/julad/000083.html) are Rodney/Radek, but they all have GREAT Rodney voices and were written in the earliest of early seasons), as well as most of astolat's SGA fics (http://www.intimations.org/fanfic/#Stargate: Atlantis) (for a good example try her Transcendental (http://www.intimations.org/fanfic/stargate/transcendental.html), in which Elizabeth is incapacitated and Rodney has to take over in her place, John gets sent to his room and grounded, then the Genii get sent to their rooms grounded, Teyla and Bates must learn to play nice with each other, and some Athosian kids make a chart; oh, and hot and steamy McShep action happens somewhere along the way, too), oh and scribblinlenore's SGA fics (http://scribblinlenore.wordpress.com/home/stargate-atlantis/) (mostly McShep), rageprufrock's SGA fics (http://glitterati.talkoncorners.net/fiction/index.php#sga), dvswraatins's SGA fics (http://01100100.fanfib.org/fica.html), lavvyan's SGA fics (http://lavvyan.livejournal.com/108173.html), seperis's SGA fics (http://seperis.illuminatedtext.com/sgaindex.html), and many, MANY others :-) but these should be enough for one comment.

[angellec.livejournal.com]

Anything by Tarlan,Rina,Orithain and Angyl all can be found on wraithbait

[slashjunkie1.livejournal.com]

Here's my list:

The Worrying Starts to Hurt:
http://wraithbait.cathandnick.com/viewstory.php?sid=13379

Weapons of Some Distraction:
ttp://bifictionalbedlam.slashcity.net/shrift/weaponsofsome.html

844,739 Ways To Eat a Hamburger:
http://minervacat.livejournal.com/963692.html

Coping Mechanisms:
http://wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=3941&warning=12

The Life You Lead:
http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=11424

Theses ones, I use my slash goggles on cause they are Gen, However I am Slashjunkie1 I see slash with our boys EVERYWHERE!

Less than a minute:
http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=9670

Cold Comforts:
http://community.livejournal.com/sga_flashfic/696563.html


When John met Rodney:
http://community.livejournal.com/sga_flashfic/537153.html


http://donutsweeper.livejournal.com/101163.html


I LOVE these Stories.

I hope you enjoy them as well!

[slashjunkie1.livejournal.com]

For some reason Weapons of Some Distraction didn't work *shrug* here it is again or the first time. http://shrift.livejournal.com/144919.html

[mezzo-cammin.livejournal.com]

I love these kind of searches, because I always find fic that I've never read before, either. Definitely tracking this one! I'll probably come back and add one or two more...

http://home.arcor.de/elfling/still.htm by murron. This is from my Delicious tag...'the one where Rodney and John have drunk!sex, Rodney is unsure, John is uncommunicative, and they go offworld. When Wraith attack, they use the planet's defense of turning into trees. It's awesome and quiet and eerie and TEAM and Rodney and John manage to work it out.'

http://neevebrody.livejournal.com/30685.html#cutid1 The Lament of Consequences, by neevebrody. Author's Summary:As he walks up the long hallway toward freedom, John is vaguely aware of Elizabeth's voice. She's explaining to Rodney that their release only cost them a few extra bags of milled flax seed and some medical supplies. John knows it cost much, much more. (warnings for dubious consent, but I didn't really see it that way.)

http://danceswithgary.livejournal.com/361008.html Virtually the Same, by danceswithgary. Author's summary: When John wakes up, he's in his quarters. Alone. The last thing he remembers is walking through the gate on M3G-434. This has Character death, sort of warnings, but the title should give a clue, there.

http://gottalovev.livejournal.com/295936.html A Hole in the World, by gottalovev. Author's Summary: One day, Rodney walks out of Atlantis without saying why and vanishes. While John does everything he can to find him, he is forced to face the fact that he has feelings for Rodney that run deeper than he'd realized. This is more of a John-centric story, but it's new, and I loved it. So.

http://community.livejournal.com/sga_flashfic/753444.html Over Simplified, by americanleaguer. From my Delicious summary: McKay and Sheppard find Ancient tech that visits their dreams. McKay's are about whales, lemons, Nobel prizes and ZPMs. John's is about having sex on the conference table with Rodney.

http://community.livejournal.com/sga_santa/157266.html Anchor me, by redsnake05. Author's summary: One day, Rodney saw John clearly, every exhausted line in his body. John watched Rodney wearing himself away a little more each day. They both do their best to fix it, to anchor each other against the slow erosion. It's finally hamburgers, of all things, that prompt some honesty out of them.

There are so many more!! Difficult to choose the ones that are hidden gems!

As far as favorite authors? All those mentioned above as well as sgamadison (I didn't rec a specific one of hers, but they're all wonderful), lavyann, semivowel, melagan, pir8fancier, giddygeek, resonant, and way, way too many more to list.

[eccentricweft.livejournal.com]

I Feel the Earth Move (http://janusglance.livejournal.com/306285.html?style=mine) by janusglance is a hidden gem in my mind and totally deserves more fandom love!

Normally I'm only ever willing to read about J/R in a relationship or on the way to having one, but this gen story is thoroughly satisfying to me. John & Rodney trust each other completely and emotionally committed to each other even if they've never articulated it. The situation in Atlantis is so dire is this fic that it's quite believable to the obsessed OTP-er (like me) that J&R would be together if they only had five minutes to spare from trying to save the Pegasus galaxy.

[mezzo-cammin.livejournal.com]

That looks so good! I started it, but have to put it on hold for now.

Along those lines, this one is 'gen' as well, but in my mind it's McShep all the way, what with the emotional reactions from John. Also, a very in-character McKay (as is everyone, really). Not exactly a 'secret' favorite of mine, since I recced it on my journal, but I love it to pieces, and I think some McSheppers might have passed it by because of the gen label. Big mistake.

http://sgabigbang.talkoncorners.net/?view=fic&id=74 Whipping Boy, by skinscript

[rinkafic.livejournal.com]

If you haven't read Keira Marco's stuff... go do that.

Here's a few of my not so secret faves:

Mer and the Colonel: http://iloveatlantis.livejournal.com/73988.html

The Mute Sheppard: http://www.alyse.info/sesa_files/TheMuteShepherd.htm

Bang: http://www.glitterati.talkoncorners.net/fiction/bang.php

Cleave: http://amific.livejournal.com/6236.html

How to Improve Your Marriage by Not Talking About it : http://causeways.livejournal.com/118484.html

Another great author

[squeakyoflight.livejournal.com]

I am madly in love with Leah's writing (she also writes as Taste_is_Sweet) and almost all her SGA fics can be found on Wraithbait. However my absolute favourite fic by her (beyond her *fabulous* Robot!fic 'ScruffyAI AU' also on Wraithbait http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=12788) is 'The Sacrificial Mage' that she wrote for SGA Secret Santa last year for Lavvyan.

http://community.livejournal.com/sga_santa/223044.html

The Rodney voice is dead-on and it's a really original AU.

Enjoy!

Squeaky

[almostnever.livejournal.com]

Top-notch humor: One Leg at a Time (http://www.kormantic.com/bent/oneleg.html) by lucitania.

captanddeastar: The Tragic, Doomed, and Epic Life and Loves of Elizabeth Jean McKay (http://captanddeastar.livejournal.com/2187.html), humor, John & Rodney together with a daughter.

ladycat777: The Principle Business of Life (http://ladycat777.livejournal.com/939473.html), humor.

Road Not Taken-ish humor AU by toomuchplor: Plan C, or How Rodney McKay Lost His Wife and Gained a Galaxy (http://toomuchplor.livejournal.com/63657.html) and its newly minted sequel, Plan D, or How Rodney McKay Went Offworld and Found His Way Home Again (http://toomuchplor.dreamwidth.org/100831.html)

a faltered hinge (http://www.improvidence.net/falteredhinge.html) by lilysaid, H/C.

Scheherazade (http://in-wintertime.livejournal.com/3985.html) by in_wintertime, new trading partners steal Rodney's memories; angst, H/C.

The Fall of the House of Sheppard (http://sgabigbang.talkoncorners.net/?view=fic&id=33) by saffronhouse, fusion of SGA canon with gothic horror, please note the warnings.

Writers: Rinsbane (http://rinsbane.livejournal.com/tag/sga%20fic), Semivowel (http://semivowel.livejournal.com/tag/mckay/sheppard), Danvers (http://01100100.fanfib.org/fica.html#slash), Shetiger (http://shetiger.com/fanfic/stargate.html#mcshep), Sabine (http://sabinetzin.dreamwidth.org/205887.html#cutid7), Telesilla (http://telesilla.dreamwidth.org/tag/fic:+sga), auburnnothenna, kisa_hawklin, saffronhouse, Giddygeek (http://www.anyroad.org/geekdom/)... I could go on and on. :-)

[trafeane.livejournal.com]

I really liked Coping mechanisms (http://unrealwords.com/thestuff/sga/coping.html) by amireal. Rodney gets injured, has a long recovery period, and it ends up as McShep (all told from John's POV).

The crooked path (http://archiveofourown.org/works/1722)
by thefacetofcathy is a good read, if only for the interaction between Rodney and John's sister-in-law (sequel Like a pigeon from hell (http://archiveofourown.org/works/2512)

I thought that Bite me (http://m.fanfiction.net/s/5377880/1/) by Flamedancer33 was hilarious: AU, Rodney is a harmless vampire.

[snowglow1275.livejournal.com]

These are... unusual fics. They don't fit many requests, most are kind of on the short side, and often get overlooked but are some of my all time favorites and very worth a read. (I also love AUs but haven't included many in deference to your request.)

Until the Stars Are All Alight: Shit like this never happened on Middle Earth. McShep, Pg-13. http://community.livejournal.com/sga_flashfic/501958.html

The Birds and the Bees and the Bats and the Robots: Rodney makes the aliens... McShep. http://iibnf.livejournal.com/1228504.html

With Appreciation: Chuck wants to have a talk with John. McShep, Pg. http://community.livejournal.com/mcsmooch/118690.html

Aphorism: There were some duties John would rather avoid. McShep, PG-13. http://community.livejournal.com/sga_santa/249156.html

Dr. Fumbles McStupid's Best Political Cousin: Rodney has been monitoring the American election, and he's at his wit's end. McShep, Pg-13. http://sheafrotherdon.livejournal.com/312975.html

Before and After: Governments will push and push, but there are times when The People push back. McShep, PG. http://helena-eternal.livejournal.com/90013.html

An Introduction to the Grapevine. McShep, PG. http://community.livejournal.com/nixa_jane/54820.html

The Morning Report: It's just a normal day. McShep, G. http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=14424

My Father Before Me: Even after twenty years Rodney has no idea how to raise children. McShep, R. http://telleer.livejournal.com/326670.html

Animalia Sequence: "...It wasn't like Daniel was *suffering*, or anything. So he was small and fuzzy and eating hamburger on a bed. It kind of looked like fun." Mcshep, R. http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=684&textsize=0&chapter=1

#435, The Atlantis Local Stitch'n'Bitch Chapter: McShep. http://www.glitterati.talkoncorners.net/fiction/435.php

I'm not really fanatic about watching authors, I hate when people just say that everything by someone is good and there are a whole lot of one-hit-wonders out there, but here are some of the authors I've found have a high ratio of like vs. dislike in my opinion.
Bluespirit http://www.blue-spirit.co.uk/
Chelle http://chelle.slashcity.org/atlantis/index.shtml
Icarus http://www.icarus.slashcity.net/ficsga.html
Forcryinoutloud http://community.livejournal.com/fcolfanfic/
Ms_jvh_shuh http://ms-jvh-shuh.livejournal.com/
Melagan http://melagan.livejournal.com/
Neevebrody http://neevebrody.livejournal.com/
The Grrrl http://thegrrrl2002.slashcity.org/atlantis/index.html
Velocitygrass http://velocitygrass.livejournal.com/
Yin_again http://yin-again.com/sgaindex.htm#1

[bluespirit-star.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the mention.
I'm afraid I haven't updated my website in ages - if anyone did want to have a look at my stories they're all at my fic LJ here: starshinedreams
Or here's a handy master list (http://community.livejournal.com/starshinedreams/72200.html). *g*

Bluespirit :)

[shibela.livejournal.com]

Considering I started reading McShep pairing when I first started reading SGA fanfiction, I find it oddly (or maybe not so odd, considering the many talented authors) endearing that a lot of what I want to list as 'hidden gems' are actually gen!fic.

One story that I will read time & again for the happy ending factor is "Every Day in Every Way" (http://sgabigbang.talkoncorners.net/index.php?view=fic&id=8) by velocitygrass. I find her to be an engaging & entertaining author in all her stories.

mrshamill is another favorite author, but perhaps my most favorite of her works (so far, anyway, since I have yet to read them all) is "Speaker for the Dead" (http://www.hawksong.com/~thammill/SGA_Fic/speaker.htm) & its sequel "Jeden Dobrý Člověk [One Good Man]" (http://www.hawksong.com/~thammill/SGA_Fic/good_man.htm). Neither of those stories are light & fluffy - in fact, they pretty much tear my heart out & leave me a sobbing mess, but... I find myself re-visiting them on a semi-regular basis.

On the 'short' fics, I think that damerel's "In the Jumper Bay aka RPS for Puddle Jumpers" (http://damerel.livejournal.com/28982.html) is probably my most favorite in the humor genre.

That said, I absolutely adore "Or Something Like It" (http://semivowel.livejournal.com/4505.html) by semivowel because Rodney absolutely cracks me up with his schedules, ranting, and bulldog protectiveness of John's privacy in the face of John's drug-induced & definitely uncharacteristic verbal diarrhea of unexpurgated truth regarding his thoughts & feelings on everything.

While I have thoroughly enjoyed everything that rageprufrock has written for McShep pairing, my absolute favorite is "Post-Nuptial" (http://archiveofourown.org/works/2159). If you have issues with mpreg, you probably won't want to read this. However, the best part of this story is Rodney & the lengths he will go to get his hands on Ancient technology.

Perhaps my favorite McShep pairing with wonderful team interaction is telesilla's "It's Growing Day by Day" (http://www.chezrozilla.net/growingdaybyday). The caring & respect they all have for each other shines through in how they support each other in their own time of need. No one is left behind in any way, and I love that the story is not just about John & Rodney getting together, but is about the team & their reliance on each other as family & friends.

That said, mirabile_dictu is one of my favorite authors for including team dynamics as well as other friendships / work relationships into John & Rodney's relationship. My favorites are "Nothing But The Mysterious Pull of the Moon" (http://mirabile-dictu.slashcity.net/SGA/Nothing.html) & "I Am Your Image Dressed As the World" (http://mirabile-dictu.slashcity.net/SGA/Image.html). These two come to the fore in the apocalypse / Lost!Earth genre, and emphasize the Atlantis Expedition's acting together as community & family.

Authors not to miss (because I go to read one story & stay to read a whole bunch more), in no particular order:

danceswithgary
the_cephalopod
cesperanza -- has her stories archived on her personal site (http://www.trickster.org/speranza/cesper/atlantis.html)
deltacephei
sgamadison
scribblinlenore -- stories are also archived on personal site (http://scribblinlenore.wordpress.com/?page_id=5)
regann
tarlanx -- stories are archived on personal site (http://davidhewlett.tarlanx.com/fiction/browse.php?type=characters&charid=128)
facetofcathy -- has moved her stories to AO3 (http://archiveofourown.org/users/facetofcathy/pseuds/facetofcathy/works) or to Dreamwidth (http://facetofcathy.dreamwidth.org/tag/fiction:sga)
quasar273 -- stories also archived at Wraithbait (http://www.wraithbait.com/viewuser.php?uid=1244)
Chandri MacLeod (http://www.fantasi.net/fandom.html#SGA)

[raphe1.livejournal.com]

The Birds and the Bees and the Bats and the Robots by iibnf

http://iibnf.livejournal.com/1228504.html

Hilarious!


Man in Black and it sequel Gentle in Your Hand by jya_bd_cp_ttgb

Heed the warnings on these but well worth the read. First is linked from the sequel post.


http://jya-bd-cp-ttgb.livejournal.com/3433.html#cutid2

[skaredykat.livejournal.com]

Huh, I didn't comment on this earlier, odd.
I have some not-so-McShep and thus almost by definition less-often recced favorites listed here (http://skaredykat.livejournal.com/1083.html#cutid6), as well as an assortment of favorites (some rarely recced, some very often) here (http://skaredykat.livejournal.com/1850.html) and some more here (http://skaredykat.livejournal.com/5638.html).

[skaredykat.livejournal.com]

Last, one secret favorite not-often-recced enough short McShep series that's heartbreaking but gorgeous: Life (Sometimes It Washes Over Me) (http://community.livejournal.com/mcshep_match/14420.html) – by (http://kanata.dreamwidth.org/profile)kyuuketsukirui/kanata (http://kanata.dreamwidth.org/) (~5,800 words) and its remix/AU sequel Ring of Fire (Nails Driven Through the Steel) (http://archiveofourown.org/works/89593) – by busaikko (~5,700 words)

part 2, authors

[skaredykat.livejournal.com]

and because LJ said the comment was too long in one piece, a very few of my favorite SGA writers who aren't already listed above:

busaikko - I'll read (and love) pairings and genres I normally won't from her. Notably good at writing the other.
copperbadge - only a few SGA stories, but all good; a great Ronon-focused one (http://community.livejournal.com/i_defeated_sga/11675.html), a really intriguing Elizabeth/Rodney/John one (http://community.livejournal.com/i_defeated_sga/9932.html), and an insightful John-is-a-robot one (http://community.livejournal.com/i_defeated_sga/8205.html).
fiercelydreamed - wrote my all-time favorite Rodney-with-aphasia story (http://fiercelydreamed.talkoncorners.net/main/archives/stargate-atlantis/rebuilding-babel) and one of my very favorite Earth AU/amnesia (http://fiercelydreamed.talkoncorners.net/main/archives/stargate-atlantis/unidentified) stories, among others.
frostfire_17 - the John/Daniel apocafic (http://frostfire-17.livejournal.com/112600.html)? amazing.
gaiaanarchy - left fandom in 2007 but stories are still up, often interesting/unusual story-ideas.
helenish - oh! John Sheppard! Run (http://helenish.talkoncorners.net/stories.html#sga), don't walk.
(http://hth.dreamwidth.org/profile)hth (http://hth.dreamwidth.org/) - great Ronon/Rodney, also great Teyla and Ronon POVs, as well as OT4 and other non-McShep stories. (unfortunately only some stories on the AO3 (http://archiveofourown.org/users/Hth/pseuds/Hth/works?selected_tags[]=70), the rest require finding an old URL from a reclist and using the Wayback Machine (http://www.archive.org/web/web.php).)
mad_maudlin - often very funny, sometimes very thought-provoking, also great gen and non-McShep.
rheanna27 - Rewind, Reboot, Restore (http://www.goldenmaze.com/rewind.htm) and apocafic The Hard Prayer (http://www.goldenmaze.com/hardprayer.htm) are some of my fandom favorites.
siegeofangels - I just love If You Want to Touch the Sky (http://siegeofangels.livejournal.com/419084.html).
shaenie - Indelible (http://archiveofourown.org/works/120496?view_full_work=true) is not a secret favorite, but wow is it worth reading. Also the zombie one (http://community.livejournal.com/sga_flashfic/816495.html).
(http://synecdochic.dreamwidth.org/profile)synecdochic (http://synecdochic.dreamwidth.org/) - essential reading.
thingswithwings - omg the crack! unicorn!Rodney/rainbow!John (http://thingswithwings.livejournal.com/18384.html) is one of my all-time favorite SGA stories.
toft_froggy - wrote several fandom favorite AU stories and classic/cracktastic OT4 story Healing Station Argh (http://toft-froggy.livejournal.com/376385.html).
toomuchplor - has just started posting SGA again, including some good post-series non-saccharine kidfic. An earlier post-series IC Rodney McKeller to McShep first-time is Waiting for My Real Life to Begin (http://toomuchplor.livejournal.com/82649.html). Also wrote fandom classic Straight as a Circle (http://toomuchplor.wordpress.com/fic/straight-as-a-circle).
trinityofone - DADT, Damyata, Dayadhvam (http://trinityofone.livejournal.com/62721.html) and more, more, more.

Re: part 2, authors

[skaredykat.livejournal.com]

Hee/oops, I just realized that with both the (semi-)secret-SGA-favorite stories and the authors list, I combined your unusual-POV and/or other slash pairings request (http://community.livejournal.com/sgagenrefinders/764307.html) with McShep stories. But pretty much anything not listed as specifically non-McShep in the list above is McShep, and all the writers listed (also) write good McShep. :)

Re: part 2, authors

[dornfelder.livejournal.com]

Thanks a lot for reccing them all to me!!

Re: part 2, authors

[skaredykat.livejournal.com]

you're welcome/I hope you like some of them :)

Благодарю за блог

[asabisele.livejournal.com]

Ну вообще-то, многое из того, что Вы пишете не совсем так… Ну да ладно, не важно :) (http://zimnyayaobuv.ru/) (http://zimnyaya-obuv.ru/)

Классный блог!

[krumpysob.livejournal.com]

Спасибо за новость! Как раз думал об этом! (http://zimnyayaobuv.ru/) (http://zimnyaya-obuv.ru/)