Newbie Guide: The Essential Sheppard Fics
As with my Carson Beckett, Ronon Dex, Teyla Emmagan, Aiden Ford, and Rodney McKay newbie guide posts, I'm trying to gather what people would consider the essential fics that aren't, as in most guides, exclusively McKay/Sheppard or Sheppard/Weir. Thus, the next title character by alpha order is John Sheppard!
So, if you were writing an SGA newbie guide, what would you say are the essential John gen and John/someone fics out there other than McKay/Sheppard and Sheppard/Weir (They'll get their own entries later), be that someone Beckett or Zelenka or Emmagan or Ford or, well, you get the idea? Your mission, should you choose to accept it, rec the essential fics featuring John, give a brief answer as to why, give us a link if you can, and give any caveats (you know, kinks not everyone shares, other pairings in the fic, those sorts of things).
I'm going to keep doing this till we're through the main cast, then go through the regularly-recurring characters, and then have a big post for all the other folks. So, keep those URLs handy! Also, for those who are wondering, gen Team fic is going to have its own post, but if it's OT4 feel free to rec it in any of the team members' posts. If it's gen, but focuses pretty exclusively on one member of the team, rec it in that character's post.
Feel free to discuss among yourselves. Oh, also, I'm not on every comm featuring each and every character, so if you think it would be relevant to a comm you're on that I haven't posted to (and it's acceptable to do so), feel free link here. Same goes with Gateworld message boards and the like.
Oh, and in case it isn't obvious, no John-bashing and no getting nasty on someone 'cause they don't share your pairing choices. Yes, that includes people who like Sheppard/Weir and McKay/Sheppard.
This is the list of recs so far, including those from the previously mentioned Carson, Ronon, Teyla, Aiden, and McKay posts. Please note, these are the recs people have made. I haven't vetted them in any way, shape or form. If you disagree, feel free to say so, politely.
Sheppard unpaired:
Deflection by ltlj, http://www.ltljverse.com/watergate/stories/deflection.htm
Failure to Communicate by Tipper, http://megtipper.tripod.com/failure.htm
Harsh Continent by 30toseoul, http://community.livejournal.com/mckay_sheppard/644310.html
The Jenny Code by Domenika Marzione (miss_porcupine), http://www.offpanel.net/dmz/sga/jenny.html
Never Stop Moving by Tipper, http://megtipper.tripod.com/neverstop.htm. Teyla-McKay, McKay-Sheppard friendship, team.
Of Coloring Books and Lieutenant Colonels by Stealth Dragon, http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3151681/1/
Your Cowboy Days are Over by M, http://www.butcheredart.net/Fiction/YourCowboyDays.html. Minor background Sheppard/OFC.
Beckett/Sheppard:
A Habit of Turning Up by wesleysgirl, http://home.comcast.net/~wesleysgirl/fanfiction/sga/habit.html
Home's a Lie by kyrdwyn, http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=814
Hope of Prey by victoriaely, Part 1: http://victoriaely.livejournal.com/97541.html and Part 2: http://victoriaely.livejournal.com/98016.html
The Human Body by smallwaldo, http://smallwaldo.livejournal.com/38944.html, warnings: small AU section with Beckett/Sheppard/Zelenka
No Time by kylielee1000, http://kylielee1000.livejournal.com/135883.html
Safety Dance by rysler, http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=3891
Under the Water by magus-minor, http://magus-minor.livejournal.com/6557.html
Dex/Sheppard:
Fourteen Years by hth_the_first, http://hth.gatefiction.com/14years.htm
Higher by idyll, http://idyll.livejournal.com/261244.html
Release Mechanism by hth_the_first, http://hth.gatefiction.com/releasemech.htm
Revelation by thisisbone, http://www.mrks.org/~bone/atlantis/01/index.html.
The Stargate Atlantis Publishing AU by lalejandra, http://www.aleuromancy.net/lalejandra/publishingAU.html
Unsaid and Reassurance by arsenicjade, Unsaid: http://www.the-archive.net/viewstory.php?sid=3402&i=1, Reassurance: http://www.the-archive.net/viewstory.php?sid=3938&i=1
Emmagan/Sheppard:
Between This And That by ideal_girl, http://ideal-girl.livejournal.com/22705.html
Family Traditions by madjm, http://madjm.livejournal.com/10123.html
First Contact by liviapenn, http://liviapenn.livejournal.com/411968.html
Heightened Awareness by miera_c, http://www.geocities.com/mierac72/atlantis/03/awareness.html, UST
Helpless by allisnow, http://allisnow.livejournal.com/832394.html
Sojourn by ltlj, http://www.ltljverse.com/watergate/stories/warnsoj.htm
The Mind's Eye by purple_cube, http://purple-cube.livejournal.com/46084.html#cutid3
Unfaithful a vid by obfreak, http://obfreak.livejournal.com/13899.html. Also listed under Dex/Emmagan.
Mitchell/Sheppard:
Here is no water by Frostfire, http://frostfire.killerstar.net/stories/nowater.html
Retrograde by ltlj, http://www.ltljverse.com/watergate/seriesindex.htm
Sheppard/Zelenka
Captive Audience by vileseagulls, http://vileseagulls.livejournal.com/319974.html. PG-13
Enough by tigs, http://tigs.livejournal.com/505778.html
Explorations by rosewildeirish, http://community.livejournal.com/welovezelenka/30599.html. Adult.
In Focus by vileseagulls, http://vileseagulls.livejournal.com/307665.html.
Melting the Darkness by Deirdre pierson, http://pierson.livejournal.com/137717.html
Mistranslated from the Czech by Berevette, http://wraithbait.cathandnick.com/viewstory.php?sid=4830. G
The Scientific Process by zortified, http://gila.faking-sanity.net/stargate/scientific.html
Unexpected Benefits by sgatlantislight, http://sgatlantislight.livejournal.com/8506.html. NC-17, Beckett/Cadman as well
Vampire Series by kyrdwyn, http://kyrdwyn.livejournal.com/tag/vampire+series. AU, NC-17.
Warlock's Bond: Warrior by kyrdwyn, http://kyrdwyn.livejournal.com/tag/warlock+series. AU, NC-17, companion Beckett/McKay piece as well
Sheppard/OMC:
Hunting Parties by Victoria Custer, http://www.ltljverse.com/watergate/huntingindex.htm
Beckett/McKay/Sheppard:
Aleatoric Life series by sgatlantislight, http://sgatlantislight.livejournal.com/65372.html, warnings: Rape recovery
Alone in Your Mind series by James (zortified), http://gila.fakingsanity.net/stargate.html, about halfway down the page.
Ancient Evil by Laura_Trekkie, http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=3721
Back from the Well by xanthelj, http://xanthestories.livejournal.com/2188.html, warnings: extreme H/C, read author's notes, also 50,000+ words.
No Greater Love by Adella, http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=1636
Open Minded by kimberlite, http://kimberlite.livejournal.com/63809.html
Yearnings Bound in Friendship by Denyce, http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=6656
Beckett/McKay/Sheppard/Zelenka
The Geometry of Desire Series by sgatlantislight, http://sgatlantislight.livejournal.com/45231.html. Very NC-17.
There's no place like a mythological city to call home and sequels by zortified, http://gila.faking-sanity.net/stargate/mythological.html is the first chapter.
Carter/McKay/Sheppard:
Yoshino by Eretria with Auburn, http://www.eternalvox.net/~auburn/Yoshino.html
Dex/Emmagan/McKay/Sheppard:
Brownian Motion and Secondary motion by 30toseoul, http://community.livejournal.com/oddball_sga/56187.html and http://community.livejournal.com/oddball_sga/57367.html?view=203287#t203287
No, Really and Yes, Maybe by basingstoke, http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=3008 and http://basingstoke.livejournal.com/285905.htm
Oikos by siriaeve, http://siriaeve.unrealwords.com/oikos.html
Three Lovers by cesperanza, http://cesperanza.livejournal.com/120889.html. NC-17
Dex/Emmagan/Sheppard:
Blood in Old Snow by Jane St Clair (3jane) and mimesere, http://3jane.livejournal.com/564957.html
Dex/McKay/Sheppard:
Alpha Centauri by hth_the_first, http://hth.gatefiction.com/AlphaCen.htm
Pull Back to Reveal by Sabine (iamsab), http://sesa.slashx-files.com/2005/38.html
Dex/Sheppard/Weir:
Pray For Rain by inlovewithnight, http://inlovewithnight.livejournal.com/825319.html
Emmagan/McKay/Sheppard:
Gifts Unasked For by shetiger, http://shetiger.com/fanfic/stargate/giftsunasked.html
The Silent Art of Watching by tafkarfanfic, http://tafkarfanfic.livejournal.com/134458.html
Also, I'll gladly accept more recs for Carson, Ronon, Teyla, Aiden, and Rodney fics in the posts linked to above.
So, if you were writing an SGA newbie guide, what would you say are the essential John gen and John/someone fics out there other than McKay/Sheppard and Sheppard/Weir (They'll get their own entries later), be that someone Beckett or Zelenka or Emmagan or Ford or, well, you get the idea? Your mission, should you choose to accept it, rec the essential fics featuring John, give a brief answer as to why, give us a link if you can, and give any caveats (you know, kinks not everyone shares, other pairings in the fic, those sorts of things).
I'm going to keep doing this till we're through the main cast, then go through the regularly-recurring characters, and then have a big post for all the other folks. So, keep those URLs handy! Also, for those who are wondering, gen Team fic is going to have its own post, but if it's OT4 feel free to rec it in any of the team members' posts. If it's gen, but focuses pretty exclusively on one member of the team, rec it in that character's post.
Feel free to discuss among yourselves. Oh, also, I'm not on every comm featuring each and every character, so if you think it would be relevant to a comm you're on that I haven't posted to (and it's acceptable to do so), feel free link here. Same goes with Gateworld message boards and the like.
Oh, and in case it isn't obvious, no John-bashing and no getting nasty on someone 'cause they don't share your pairing choices. Yes, that includes people who like Sheppard/Weir and McKay/Sheppard.
This is the list of recs so far, including those from the previously mentioned Carson, Ronon, Teyla, Aiden, and McKay posts. Please note, these are the recs people have made. I haven't vetted them in any way, shape or form. If you disagree, feel free to say so, politely.
Sheppard unpaired:
Deflection by ltlj, http://www.ltljverse.com/watergate/stories/deflection.htm
Failure to Communicate by Tipper, http://megtipper.tripod.com/failure.htm
Harsh Continent by 30toseoul, http://community.livejournal.com/mckay_sheppard/644310.html
The Jenny Code by Domenika Marzione (miss_porcupine), http://www.offpanel.net/dmz/sga/jenny.html
Never Stop Moving by Tipper, http://megtipper.tripod.com/neverstop.htm. Teyla-McKay, McKay-Sheppard friendship, team.
Of Coloring Books and Lieutenant Colonels by Stealth Dragon, http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3151681/1/
Your Cowboy Days are Over by M, http://www.butcheredart.net/Fiction/YourCowboyDays.html. Minor background Sheppard/OFC.
Beckett/Sheppard:
A Habit of Turning Up by wesleysgirl, http://home.comcast.net/~wesleysgirl/fanfiction/sga/habit.html
Home's a Lie by kyrdwyn, http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=814
Hope of Prey by victoriaely, Part 1: http://victoriaely.livejournal.com/97541.html and Part 2: http://victoriaely.livejournal.com/98016.html
The Human Body by smallwaldo, http://smallwaldo.livejournal.com/38944.html, warnings: small AU section with Beckett/Sheppard/Zelenka
No Time by kylielee1000, http://kylielee1000.livejournal.com/135883.html
Safety Dance by rysler, http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=3891
Under the Water by magus-minor, http://magus-minor.livejournal.com/6557.html
Dex/Sheppard:
Fourteen Years by hth_the_first, http://hth.gatefiction.com/14years.htm
Higher by idyll, http://idyll.livejournal.com/261244.html
Release Mechanism by hth_the_first, http://hth.gatefiction.com/releasemech.htm
Revelation by thisisbone, http://www.mrks.org/~bone/atlantis/01/index.html.
The Stargate Atlantis Publishing AU by lalejandra, http://www.aleuromancy.net/lalejandra/publishingAU.html
Unsaid and Reassurance by arsenicjade, Unsaid: http://www.the-archive.net/viewstory.php?sid=3402&i=1, Reassurance: http://www.the-archive.net/viewstory.php?sid=3938&i=1
Emmagan/Sheppard:
Between This And That by ideal_girl, http://ideal-girl.livejournal.com/22705.html
Family Traditions by madjm, http://madjm.livejournal.com/10123.html
First Contact by liviapenn, http://liviapenn.livejournal.com/411968.html
Heightened Awareness by miera_c, http://www.geocities.com/mierac72/atlantis/03/awareness.html, UST
Helpless by allisnow, http://allisnow.livejournal.com/832394.html
Sojourn by ltlj, http://www.ltljverse.com/watergate/stories/warnsoj.htm
The Mind's Eye by purple_cube, http://purple-cube.livejournal.com/46084.html#cutid3
Unfaithful a vid by obfreak, http://obfreak.livejournal.com/13899.html. Also listed under Dex/Emmagan.
Mitchell/Sheppard:
Here is no water by Frostfire, http://frostfire.killerstar.net/stories/nowater.html
Retrograde by ltlj, http://www.ltljverse.com/watergate/seriesindex.htm
Sheppard/Zelenka
Captive Audience by vileseagulls, http://vileseagulls.livejournal.com/319974.html. PG-13
Enough by tigs, http://tigs.livejournal.com/505778.html
Explorations by rosewildeirish, http://community.livejournal.com/welovezelenka/30599.html. Adult.
In Focus by vileseagulls, http://vileseagulls.livejournal.com/307665.html.
Melting the Darkness by Deirdre pierson, http://pierson.livejournal.com/137717.html
Mistranslated from the Czech by Berevette, http://wraithbait.cathandnick.com/viewstory.php?sid=4830. G
The Scientific Process by zortified, http://gila.faking-sanity.net/stargate/scientific.html
Unexpected Benefits by sgatlantislight, http://sgatlantislight.livejournal.com/8506.html. NC-17, Beckett/Cadman as well
Vampire Series by kyrdwyn, http://kyrdwyn.livejournal.com/tag/vampire+series. AU, NC-17.
Warlock's Bond: Warrior by kyrdwyn, http://kyrdwyn.livejournal.com/tag/warlock+series. AU, NC-17, companion Beckett/McKay piece as well
Sheppard/OMC:
Hunting Parties by Victoria Custer, http://www.ltljverse.com/watergate/huntingindex.htm
Beckett/McKay/Sheppard:
Aleatoric Life series by sgatlantislight, http://sgatlantislight.livejournal.com/65372.html, warnings: Rape recovery
Alone in Your Mind series by James (zortified), http://gila.fakingsanity.net/stargate.html, about halfway down the page.
Ancient Evil by Laura_Trekkie, http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=3721
Back from the Well by xanthelj, http://xanthestories.livejournal.com/2188.html, warnings: extreme H/C, read author's notes, also 50,000+ words.
No Greater Love by Adella, http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=1636
Open Minded by kimberlite, http://kimberlite.livejournal.com/63809.html
Yearnings Bound in Friendship by Denyce, http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=6656
Beckett/McKay/Sheppard/Zelenka
The Geometry of Desire Series by sgatlantislight, http://sgatlantislight.livejournal.com/45231.html. Very NC-17.
There's no place like a mythological city to call home and sequels by zortified, http://gila.faking-sanity.net/stargate/mythological.html is the first chapter.
Carter/McKay/Sheppard:
Yoshino by Eretria with Auburn, http://www.eternalvox.net/~auburn/Yoshino.html
Dex/Emmagan/McKay/Sheppard:
Brownian Motion and Secondary motion by 30toseoul, http://community.livejournal.com/oddball_sga/56187.html and http://community.livejournal.com/oddball_sga/57367.html?view=203287#t203287
No, Really and Yes, Maybe by basingstoke, http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=3008 and http://basingstoke.livejournal.com/285905.htm
Oikos by siriaeve, http://siriaeve.unrealwords.com/oikos.html
Three Lovers by cesperanza, http://cesperanza.livejournal.com/120889.html. NC-17
Dex/Emmagan/Sheppard:
Blood in Old Snow by Jane St Clair (3jane) and mimesere, http://3jane.livejournal.com/564957.html
Dex/McKay/Sheppard:
Alpha Centauri by hth_the_first, http://hth.gatefiction.com/AlphaCen.htm
Pull Back to Reveal by Sabine (iamsab), http://sesa.slashx-files.com/2005/38.html
Dex/Sheppard/Weir:
Pray For Rain by inlovewithnight, http://inlovewithnight.livejournal.com/825319.html
Emmagan/McKay/Sheppard:
Gifts Unasked For by shetiger, http://shetiger.com/fanfic/stargate/giftsunasked.html
The Silent Art of Watching by tafkarfanfic, http://tafkarfanfic.livejournal.com/134458.html
Also, I'll gladly accept more recs for Carson, Ronon, Teyla, Aiden, and Rodney fics in the posts linked to above.