improbable sga recs

[bedlamsbard]

SGA really is the most amazing fandom. Looking at the majority of fandom, maybe 2% to 5% of fic out there is actually worth reading, and rereading, and rereading (and I have high standards). Looking at its source material, SGA fandom shouldn't have the amazing amount of amazing fic that it has, but it does. I swear, and I've been in a ton of fandoms here, that it has more good fic than any ten other fandoms put together. Counting Harry Potter.

What's also interesting is that SGA features a ton of AU fic. Most AU fic doesn't work well -- what I'm talking about isn't necessarily "what ifs", but "oh, what if John and Rodney were camp counselors?" And the thing is, it works. I don't have a strong connection with the source material, but what I've noticed is that the show uses character more than circumstances/setting, which I think really allows that kind of AU to be written. It's hard to do with, say, HP or Smallville or even Buffy because the characters are shaped by the circumstances that make them -- how do you write Harry without the Dark Lord? The characters simply aren't strong enough to allow that most of the time (although of course it happens, but not as often as it does in SGA fandom). I've read more AUs in SGA than I have in any other fandom, not counting the ones I've written for CSI:NY.

And the fun thing about the Stargate 'verse (counting SG-1 in with SGA here) is that you can pretty much write anything and make it believableI mean, seriously, John Sheppard as a fairy should not be believable, but in Stargate? Totally possible. It's also one of the two fandoms where I can conceivably read genderfuck, like Ardhanarishvara by auburnnothenna and monanotlisa, and slavefic, like auburnnothenna's In the City of Seven Walls.

So. SGA AU recs. Some of these are on my grand multi-fandom recs list, and some of them aren't, not counting the ones in the entry above. Basically divided into two categories: the first one is a complete reimagining -- a.k.a. stories that don't include the SGC or Atlantis -- and the second one is stories which do, but are believably tweaked slightly.


Category One: Non-Canon

Bell Curve, or, Ladies' Night at the Boom Boom Room, by rageprufrock. In his rational mind, Rodney knew that following a girl who'd just dumped you into a strip club was really, really pathetic.

Hook or Crook, by rageprufrock. "$2,000?" Rodney shrieked.

Baseline, by rageprufrock. "He threw milk at me," Rodney sulks.

String Theory, a Concerto for Violin in D Minor, by toft_froggy. “John Sheppard had a son? And he plays the violin too? What is he, a masochist?”

The Dark Side, by astolat. "You're not a very good Jedi, are you?" the Sith Lord said. "Oh, excuse me, I am an excellent Jedi," Rodney said.

Under the Sea, by astolat. College.

How to Tie a Bow Tie, by notpoetry. College professors.

Academic, by rageprufrock. "Oh, and by the way, Dr. McKay?" Cadman added. "The English department? Loves your listing on GaySugarDaddy.com."

Out of West, by rageprufrock. This is not actually a story about John at all.

Sky Full Of, by rageprufrock. To hear your voice is pomegranate wine to me: / I draw life from hearing it..


Category Two: Canon-Based

Hindsight, by rageprufrock, and the sequels More Than and Personal Item.

Small Primes and Square Roots, by liviapenn. "I hope you picked someone really intelligent, otherwise it seems like it would be kind of a waste. Of incubation time, if nothing else."

No Refunds or Exchanges, by astolat.

The Roads Never Lead Where They're Supposed To, by eleveninches A slightly different John and Rodney, in a slightly different Atlantis, fight Marines, dinosaurs, and each other.

Circuitous and two episodic followups, by rageprufrock Dr. John Sheppard was not as excited about joining the project as Rodney was to have him on board.