lanning_cook almost made me late for work

[mamadeb]

And I'm so happy that she did. I'd just spent the better part of a week reading less than optimal fic, with strained dialogue and characterizations and all the little nitpicky things that drive me nuts about poor writing. They also had hackneyed and/or annoying plots. But I'm in a semi-honeymoon with SG-1, and so. *Sigh*.

And then someone recommended Lanning's Sports Night story "Being an Anchor." And. My goodness. Prose that flowed, descriptions that described without going overboard, recognizable characters and dialogue. Okay, the plot is an angstfest and it's not a new theme - but she did it well. I hurt when I was supposed to hurt, and felt joy when that was appropriate. It would have been good even if I hadn't had the sucky stuff before it - I know because I'd read the story before and liked it - but after the past week, all I could think was, "Yes. Good writing does exist in the world. I need to find more of that."

Comments

[destina.livejournal.com]

They also had hackneyed and/or annoying plots. But I'm in a semi-honeymoon with SG-1, and so.

Oh, dear. Well, I recently fell hard for SG-1, too, and so you have my sympathies, because wading through dreck is pretty much par for the course in this fandom. *g* There are a (very) few kick-ass stories out there - let me know if you need recs, 'cause I've spent many lonely hours looking for the stories I just knew *someone* had to be writing...and I did find some.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Recs? Oh, yes, *please*. I need recs. I need nice, long stories (or even nice *short* stories) where they all sound like themselves and Jack doesn't (and I swear this happened) *grab* Daniel's groin because Daniel needed to get laid, and wasn't taking any women up on their offers. Where Daniel doesn't have "auburn" hair, where they actually talk to each other, where they're both *men*. Even, and I know this is asking a lot, Teal'c and Sam and General Hammond play real roles, because I love them, too.

And it doesn't have to be Jack/Daniel, either. Just don't want het.

And, who knows? Someday, I'll write some, too.

Thank you!

[destina.livejournal.com]

All righty, then! Here we go. YMMV, of course, because tastes differ, but these are some of my favorites. In general, I recommend work by Thevetia, Keiko, quercus, Anna S, Anais, and Rheanna as being some of the best SG writers out there. Each of them has a somewhat different take on the characters, and all may not be to your tastes - quercus, for example, doesn't always hit the mark for me, but some of her stuff is very good. Same with Anais, whose Daniel isn't right for everyone, and Anna S, whose Jack doesn't work for all readers. But this should definitely get you started! *g*

Cost of a Used Spaceship by Marie Blackpool (pre-slash)
http://www.area52hkh.net/story_00946.html

The Other Half by Anna S. (slash)
http://www.drizzle.com/~eliade/sg_other_half.html

No Man is Born an Angler by Anna S. (slash)
http://www.drizzle.com/~eliade/sg_angler.html

In Common by Thevetia (slash)
http://www.geocities.com/keiko_kirin/thevetia/incommon.html

Held by Thevetia (slash)
http://www.area52hkh.net/thevetia/held.htm

Roses in December by Rheanna (gen)
http://www.sg1-heliopolis.de/archive/angst/rosesin.html

Objectives by shalott (slash)
http://www.trickster.org/~shalott/stargate/objectives.html

Reveille by shalott (slash)
http://www.trickster.org/~shalott/stargate/reveille.html

Storms by Merry Lynne (gen)
http://trickster.org/anyroad/merry/storms.htm

The Road Between the Walls by Keiko (slash)
http://www.geocities.com/keiko_kirin/roadwalls.html

Unsatisfied Desires by quercus (slash)
http://www.slashcity.org/~quercus/Stargate/Abydos.html

A Thousand Stars by Dorothy Marley (slash)
http://www.area52hkh.net/dorothy/1000stars.htm

Little Things by Anais (slash)
http://www.versaphile.com/anais/LittleThings.shtml

Buoyancy by Keiko (slash)
http://www.geocities.com/keiko_kirin/buoyancy.html

To Drive the Cold Winter Away by Thevetia (gen)
http://www.geocities.com/keiko_kirin/thevetia/coldwinter.html

The Midas Syndrome by Rheanna (gen)
http://www.sg1-heliopolis.de/archive/action/midassyndrome.html

And I will make a tiny rec for a couple of my own stories: Five Moons, Bright Chains, Static, and Farther Than Earth From Heaven.

Thank you

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

And. I just read Bright Chains. It was lovely.

Re: Thank you

[destina.livejournal.com]

I'm always tickled pink to share the SG love, especially since I remember what it was like, trying to track down things to read when I first got hooked. *g* And thank you muchly, re Bright Chains. :-)

Oh! There's another story I forgot, too - you may have found this one already, tho:
Sinner's Grove by Martha
http://www.skeeter63.org/soulcake/slash/grove.html

Also, as far as recs go, Anna S. has a recs page on her site, where she points out a number of stories I didn't mention above:
http://www.drizzle.com/~eliade/sg_recs.html

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes - Lanning Cook is quite brilliant. Her Sports Night stuff and her Sentinel stories are among my favorites in both fandoms. And she's got a follow-up to "Being an Anchor," "Location, Location, Location," which is equally spectacular.