Celebrating 500!

[fignewton]

Today, I made my 500th rec over at stargateficrec and figs_sg1_rec since I first started reccing gen fic on April 2nd, 2006.

I'm, um, a little overwhelmed, here. :)

To celebrate, I've linked to some of my personal favorites here - only one per author, even when that was almost impossible! Many of these overlap multiple categories, but I did the best I could. And I want to thank the authors who continue to write such fabulous stories, the readers who offer me feeback by leaving comments at stories I've recced, and the people who have taken the time to let me know in other ways how much they enjoy the recs. When I first started reccing, I never dreamed it would become a full-blown vocation of love, but... well, here we are!

Keep reading and writing and reccing, guys. And thanks for being part of the best little corner of the fandom ever.

::squishes all of you::

These fics are the ones I love most for their characterization and insight:

Numerology, by randomfreshink. I love everything Random writes, and this story is my all-time favorite of hers. It's a character study of Jack, doing a character study of Daniel, set in that nebulous time between the end of S5 and the beginning of S6, when SG-1 went through nine different people in their efforts to find someone to take Daniel's place. Stellar Jack voice, lovely team moments, and marvelous insight. Rated PG.

Teal'c's Five Favorite Board Games, by paian. It's astonishing to consider that such a light subject matter can become my definitive Teal'c fic, but Paian lovingly treats us to rich characterization and a deeply moving insight into Teal’c and his history, both before and after he joins the SGC. It stretches across multiple seasons and interacts with all of the team, and it is entirely Teal'c - wonderfully, beautifully real. Rated G.

The Blue Jell-O Metaphor, by surreallis. Surreallis gives us Sam's struggles as the only woman on the team, her frustration that her brilliance scares off men before a relationship can even begin, her isolation from the women who are supposed to be her peers. But "Super Sam" meets Major Sam meets Sam the woman meets Sam of SG-1, and they all decide, together, that things are pretty much okay the way they are... But she still isn’t wearing the tights! Rated PG-13.

Son of Endless Sky, by rydra_wong. Stunning characterization of Descended!Daniel from the POV of a complete outsider: a native of a tribe who recognize that Daniel, child of the Ancients, must be anchored to the reality of the physical. Lovingly and lushly written. Rated PG.

Look to the Heavens and Number the Stars, by minervacat. It's not just fabulous insight into the team as perceived by an outsider; it's fabulous insight into the team as perceived by the SGC librarian. One of the best original characters I've ever read. Rated PG-13.

Humor fics are usually short and sweet and keep you coming back for more!

Ketchup, by Jaed. Armed only with a tomato ketchup bottle, Daniel must save SG-1! This is slightly over-the-top crackfic that works and makes me laugh out loud every single time. Rated PG.

Folsom Prison Blues, by eve11. The team in prison - again. Ratings, mattress-like cries, teamy goodness fun. Simply awesome! Rated PG.

Girls (and Jaffa) Do Not Fight Fair, by kalquessa. S8 sheer team glee, in which Teal'c feeds a guard to a Rancor, Sam uses tried and trusted methods, Daniel isn't even sure what side he's on, and Jack can't sneak anything past Walter. Rated G.

Untitled Daniel, by sixbeforelunch. Emily takes the OOC cliche of meeean guys at the SGC bullying Daniel and turns it most satisfyingly on its head: Daniel blinked, twice. Opened his mouth. Closed it. A marine wandered into the locker room, took one look at Daniel's face, and headed right back out. Rated PG.

The Art of the Deal, by littera_abactor. This will have you crying with laughter at the mangled English and the solid skewering of cliche fic! Gen. No, really. :) Rated PG-13 for some innuendo.

Yet Another SG-1 Adventure, by minnow1212. Jackfic! Teamfic! Vala snark! Zombies! Need I say more? Rated PG.

Here are some of my favorite fics that twist canon thoroughly on its axis with fantastic results.

The Retrograde series, by Martha Wilson, is a crossover of SGA/SG-1, in which Atlantis was cut off from Earth for years... and when the war with the Ori is over and Earth can finally send a ship to Pegasus to check on the colony, it may already be too late. The main body of stories is gen, but some stand-alone fics written by others are not. I've recced most of the gen fics at one time or another - all of them are superb. Rated PG-13 for violence and language.

Till Human Voices Wake Us, by ivorygates. Daniel in the wake of the apocalypse, still trying. And trying. And trying... Daniel and Teal'c friendship, AU upon AU, and the determination to never, ever give up. References to Daniel/Sha're. Rated PG-13.

If I Could Go On Sleeping, by ameretrifle. Meridian with double the angst... because Sha're is alive. She's angry enough at Oma for taking her son; is she supposed to let her take Daniel, too? Superbly heart-wrenching, and well worth reading despite FF.net stripping the scene breaks out of the text. Daniel/Sha're. Rated PG-13.

Rearranging Fate, by redbyrd. Follow the characters from POV as they go back through the Quantum Mirror and find their own Daniel Jackson! Twists on canon are delightfully realistic. Rated PG-13.

Please Hang Up and Try Again, by abyssinia. Two sets of five phone calls that Daniel never received - five that were left on his answering machine when he was Ascended, and five that take place in different universes. Fabulous stuff, all round. Rated PG-13.

I'm not a big apocafic fan, but I love stories that offer SG-1 a bright and shining future!

A Million Years Into the Sky, by niamaea. This fic moves me to tears with its beauty and sheer promise every time I read it. Peripheral Sam/Cameron and technically a deathfic, as the story covers decades. First in Sam's voice and later in Teal'c's, this stunning, gorgeous story offers the hope of a universe that never forgets her children, and a truly happy ending for them all. Rated PG.

Almost a Statesman, by katie_m. Coolly elegant, this is the story of Teal'c of the Tau'ri, leading his people in a way that is not quite Jaffa, not quite human, but ultimately, triumphantly Teal'c's own. Rated PG.

So Long, Farewell, See You Around, by tallulah_rasa. I fangirl Tallulah Rasa shamelessly, and this is one of my favorites: seven ways in which Jack (and the team) say good-bye. Rated PG.

(And I can't include Next Steps because I've already linked to one fic by paian... ::blinks innocently::)

How about my favorite novel-length stories, for when I want to settle down with a long, satisfying read? (minimum 60,000 words, and in most cases, a lot longer)

You Can't Always Get What You Want, by betacandy. The ultimate Moebius-fix, and one of my top five favorite fics ever. Daniel-centric with lots of team love. Rated PG-13.

One Dimension Removed, by tafkarfanfic. Sha're front, right, and center, as Amaunet takes Daniel to be host to Apophis and Sha're joins SG-1. Fabulous beyond belief. References to Daniel/Sha're. Tafkar rates it PG, but I'd call it a strong PG-13.

Daniel of Abydos, by nightspear. Four novel-length fics that tell the story of a Daniel Jackson who grew up on Abydos and ends up joining the SGC. Fabulous characterization and awesome friendships, particularly Teal'c and Daniel. Rated PG-13. (For a long analysis/meta on how this works as kidfic, go here.)

Ripples, by elgrey. Another one of my top five favorites! Daniel is snatched by the NID in the wake of Shades of Grey, and Daniel has to survive long enough for the team to find him. Hurt/comfort at its best. Rated R for violence and language.

Other people have One True Pairing; aurora_novarum and I have One True Team instead!

Passing Thus Along, by sage_theory. Meg writes beautiful character studies of Jack and Sam and Daniel as they find each other off-world by virtue of how well they know each other, and themselves. Lovely, intelligent, and right. Rated PG.

Roses in December, by rheanna27. I love this fic to pieces! Primarily a Jack-fic, but solidly entrenched in team as Sam and Daniel and Teal'c risk everything to save him. Fascinating world-buliding and superb characterization. Rated PG.

A Rock and a Hard Place, by Sam Walker. Classic hurt/comfort fic, as Daniel is trapped on a narrow ledge and his teammates use their greatest strengths and talents to rescue him. Rated PG-13.

A Vacation at Jack's Place, by Oughtaknowbetter. Solid teamy goodness with lots of adventure and good plain fun! Rated PG.

Lost in Translation, by Vathara. I'd love this story even if it wasn't for the sheer nostalgia of being my first-ever rec! A Goa'uld plots domination, misreads the directions, and nearly trashes the SGC as a result. Written in a very different style than most, but a fun romp that's funny and plotty and just plain good. Rated PG.

Meeting of Minds, by sef1029. So much to love about this fic, including the awesome Sam voice and the return of the Gadmeer and the wrestling with ethical dilemmas and lots of Daniel drama and wonderful teamy goodness - all wrapped up in a single, well-written package! Rated PG-13.

These are the kind of fics that hit you with their power and strength and linger in your mind for a long, long time.

The Taste of Honey, the Hum of Bees, by troyswann. Beautifully lyrical, and a stunning off-world mission that turns potentially deadly. Set in the wake of Daniel's decension, told from Sam's POV, and full of intensity and and elegance and struggle. References to Daniel/Sha're. Rated PG-13.

The Undefended Territory, by juliefortune. I love all of Julie's gen fics, but this one - this one will shake you, not only with the absolute horror of what Jack and Daniel face but with the sheer determination with which Sam and Teal'c arrange their rescue. Superb stuff. Rated PG-13.

Stay in Touch, by tefnut_. Jack and Daniel trapped below the earth with well-meaning captors whose very touch is poisonous. With communication and their very selves stripped down to absolute basics, can Jack and Daniel survive long enough to find freedom - and can Sam and Teal'c help them make it back? Rated PG-13.

Ciphers, by destina. An accident off-world slowly robs Daniel of his ability to communicate, and the entire team rallies around him in a powerful, moviing story. Rated PG.

I have to admit these 33 fics don't even begin to scratch the surface, but... five hundred recs. Yeah. :)

Care to join the celebration? Leave links here to your personal gen favorites (not your own, please). Or wander over to sg1genrecs (my DW baby) and rec a story or two there. Keep spreading the gen squee!

and if someone out there might care to make me a reccing icon, I wouldn't exactly complain...

Comments

[princessofgeeks]

what a great list. thank you. many here i have not read yet.

[minxy]

Oh, great recs, and great recs list here too. You've done brilliantly. Well, well done.

[cesy]

I'm going to have to save this to read later, as there are lots of good ones here I haven't read before. Thank you!

[fignewton]

Oh, yay! Always a pleasure to introduce new and wonderful fic. :)

[fignewton]

Thank you! I don't have to tell you what a pleasure it is to rec things.

And on a personal note, you totally made me day a few years ago when I saw you rec Meg's Passing Thus Along right after I'd recced it on stargateficrec and I realized eeeee, people are really reading my recs and liking them! :)

[fignewton]

Wonderful! These are all gems - I envy you the reading pleasure you have ahead. :)

[minxy]

Oh most definitely reading and following your recs! It's a self-perpetuating cycle, reccers! I opened a couple of tabs from this list too, and if I don't get to them, it's merely due to real life getting in the way.

I've greatly appreciated having you in fandom.

eta: to use the right handle. *siiiiiiigh, stupid pre-migraine*

[fignewton]

Is is indeed a most glorious cycle, and I'm proud to be part of it.

(The Daniel in my icon sympathizes, and IMs you some ibuprofen. Possibly Ancient-tampered, so use at your own risk.)

[lavenderlocks]

Have bookmarked for future perusal, and thank you for your reccing powers!

[fignewton]

Thank you! I hope you enjoy every one of these gems. :)