Jack and Sam friendship fics? ::chirping crickets::

[fignewton]

We've had such an outpouring of Jack love (not that way, heh) with the Jack Alpha-Bits this week, plus other fics that were written for Gen Fic Day. I'm hugely grateful to everyone who participated, either by writing, reading, or commenting!

But when I was wrestling with HTML for the main Alpha-Bits post, I couldn't help noticing a certain something missing from all that wonderful fic.

We got pre-series Jack. Post-series Jack. General Jack in Washington. Jack and his team. Ep-related Jack.

Jack and Sara? Yes, two of them!

Jack and Daniel? Oh, delightful amounts!

Jack and Teal'c? Indeed!

Jack and George? Yes, sir!

Jack and Janet? Three gems: one light-hearted and fluffy, one dark and uncanny, and one heartbreakingly beautiful.

Jack and... Jack? Yes, we got that too.

We even got Jack and Jonas!

But what we didn't get at all is Jack and Sam.

There is very little Jack and Sam friendship fic out there. No, let me revise that statement: there is very little Jack and Sam friendship out there that is not only strictly gen, but labeled as such so that non-J/S shippers can find it. There are reasons for that (which I don't want to get into right now, but feel free to discuss in the comments), but that doesn't change the fact that those of us who want to read about the friendship between two Air Force officers with mutual respect and admiration for one another have a very hard time of it. And while I would never, ever presume to dictate what other people write, I'm a little saddened that out of 25 different authors, not a single one of us thought (or were inspired by our keywords) to write about Jack and Sam.

I'm including myself, of course. I didn't write about them either. :)

Now, this is nothing new. Before I recced Jack and Sam friendship fics back in February, stargateficrec had only five recs in that category - and the last rec had been in October 2005. I added eight more to the category, and I do hope to rec the category again some time in the next few months (a certain fic written by Abyssis has been burning a hole in my rec folder since the sg1friendathon). And aurora_novarum, tireless champion for Sam and Jack friendship, is planning a ficathon, which will hopefully inspire lots of great fic!

In the meantime, though, I am asking people to comment here and link to any Sam and Jack friendship fic that they've written. I'll be happy to accept recs as well, but I am specifically requesting that you link to your stories. Include ratings, please, and spoiler warnings if it's set in Ark of Truth or Continuum for the sake of those who haven't seem the movies yet.

To get the ball rolling, here are my own two Sam and Jack friendship ficlets, each under 750 words:

Spectator Sport: Sam and Jack: "I could warn him... but then it wouldn't be as funny." Season 5. G.

Guilty Pleasures. Is it Sam and Jack's fault that rescuing Teal'c and Daniel is so much fun? Early S1. PG.

::sits back and rubs hands expectantly::

Comments

[lokei.livejournal.com]

Huh. Apparently I have never written a Jack and Sam friendship story. Two Sam and Daniel friendships, but no Jack and Sam of a gen or a ship variety. I guess that makes it crystal clear how hard I find Sam's voice. Even one of the Sam'n'Daniel pieces is written from Daniel's pov. It hasn't got anything to do with disliking her character, but I just find her difficult to understand a lot of the time. And frankly, given the way canon itself muddies the waters about Jack and Sam, I'm not surprised there's not a lot of strictly gen fic out there for them that isn't also general teamy goodness.

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

That's an interesting thought: that because of canon, people who want to write Jack and Sam friendship prefer to keep it within the framework of teamy goodness. Hmmm.

Why not try writing Jack and Sam fic from Jack's POV? You've got a stellar grip on that, to be sure. :)

[lokei.livejournal.com]

*sputters laughing* I'm so going to make you a badge that says "Why, yes, I AM an enabler!"

I'll give it some thought. I have *counts on gingers* 8 SG1 fics in my head or in process. One of them actually IS Jack and Sam friendship, with a side order of Daniel, naturally. I have to go find the article that inspired it so I can get my facts straight before I write it. Something to do with scientists studying the bubbles in beer for mechanical engineering, I think. It's part of my 'it's all about the beer' set of short stories, one of which is written (but now I can't remember if I posted it...)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Oh, Jack must love an "it's all about the beer" series! :D

[crazedturkey.livejournal.com]

I think I have. *goes to check*

I have a couple that are kinda jack/sam friendship...

Here (http://ayamgila.livejournal.com/2438.html) and Here (http://ayamgila.livejournal.com/3194.html) But they aren't hard jack/sam.

I think it might be because I have solid shipper goggles and consider it somewhat canonical...*shrugs*

I now resolve to write some more. Darnit.

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

I now resolve to write some more

Always a good thing! :) Thanks for the links.

[pepper-field.livejournal.com]

I think, from this shipper's POV, the problem can be how we look at it. It makes me think of a line from someone's story - Sam complaining that she gets funny looks whenever she sat next to Jack, or was in the same room, or breathing the same freakin' air... If I write a story focusing on Sam and Jack, I have to make a conscious decision NOT to include any suggestions of shippiness.

I had a look back through my fics, and I've written a few that might be considered friendship fics. I know what I was thinking when I wrote them, but I'm not 100% sure how a non-shipper might interpret them. If you or anyone wants to take a look at them and give me your objective opinion, feel free!

These are the ones that aren't definitely ship:

Safe And Sound (http://pepper-field.livejournal.com/18311.html) (PG, 2252 words)

The First Time (http://pepper-field.livejournal.com/50621.html) (G, 1207 words)

Revisions 2: On Behalf Of The Lunatic Fringe (http://pepper-field.livejournal.com/50970.html) (PG, 678 words)

Revisions 3: Close One (http://pepper-field.livejournal.com/51386.html) (G, 1161 words)

Not Dark Yet (But It's Getting There) (http://pepper-field.livejournal.com/52034.html) (PG, 744 words)

Don't Have A Cow, Man (http://pepper-field.livejournal.com/98538.html) (G, 576 words)

[izhilzha.livejournal.com]

If I write a story focusing on Sam and Jack, I have to make a conscious decision NOT to include any suggestions of shippiness.

Yeah. It's difficult, because (and while this isn't limited to Jack & Sam, they're the biggest example in the SG-verse) in canon there are potential feelings there. I'm a genficcer (see icon), but more than that, I am a freak for canon-complicance, and it's hard to write Sam & Jack, especially in later seasons, without some of the potential creeping in. Also hard to write friendship that readers won't see as 'shippy, period. (And that's a problem that goes beyond one fandom to most attempts to write cross-gender friendship, imho.)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

You forgot the one I actually recced: Float Like a Butterfly! :)

I like your definition: "aren't definitely ship." Heh. I will check them out.

[pepper-field.livejournal.com]

Hee - well, I figured you knew that one! :D That was the one time I did intentionally write Sam and Jack friendship - the others above are... well, my idea of their canon relationship, I guess.

[abyssinia4077.livejournal.com]

*shrugs* It's not a friendship that pings me the way others do, at least not to the same extent (in the sense of wanting to explore it more). Actually, looking through my fic list I appear to mostly write Jack either when I'm focusing on him or when I'm writing a more ensemble story.

But:

Magnificent Desolation (http://abyssinia4077.livejournal.com/238794.html) (*insert obligatory lack of understanding why this hit so many fannish buttons when I can barely stand to read it*)

Tumbling Down (http://abyssinia4077.livejournal.com/215161.html) - a Sam and Jack post-ep to an SGA episode. I...tried to be shippy and failed, so whether this is ship or gen is probably all about the goggles you choose to wear.

[kalquessa.livejournal.com]

So much depends on what goggles one is wearing. *sage nod*

(I seriously want to climb into your brain and move the furniture around until you love Magnificent Desolation as much as I do. But that would be very Ark of Truth-y and that whole thing with making people believe something by magical brainwashing sort of put me off. So perhaps not.)

[abyssinia4077.livejournal.com]

So much depends on what goggles one is wearing. *sage nod*

Yep, and Sam and Jack are tricky because there is something there in canon, whatever that something is (I have a lot of reasons why I emphatically don't ship them, but I still admit to the ill-defined something). So if you write them like they are on the show...how do you represent that?

(I seriously want to climb into your brain and move the furniture around until you love Magnificent Desolation as much as I do. But that would be very Ark of Truth-y and that whole thing with making people believe something by magical brainwashing sort of put me off. So perhaps not.)

You and Aurora and plenty of other people. It's...I can see how it isn't *bad* and there are bits here and there within it that I like. But I can't look at it and not see everything I wanted it to be that I couldn't achieve and I think it just hits way too close to home and...mostly knowing all the ways it isn't perfect makes me shocked at how many people liked it so much.

But I do appreciate the loving of it :)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Ah, you did see what I wrote in the post, didn't you? "A certain fic written by Abyssis has been burning a hole in my rec folder." :) I can't speak for all of fandom, but I personally loved it for the marvelous character study, the loving attention to detail of history, and the weaving of their current lives with the pasts. I'll say more when I actually rec it!

I understand absolutely about it not pinging much for you - I think I'm pretty much the same way, which is why I've written so little myself. But I do regret that there isn't more out there, for those who would enjoy it.

all about the goggles you choose to wear

Ah, subtext... :)

[abyssinia4077.livejournal.com]

I saw. It's been recced already in other categories. Which shouldn't stop you...

Oh, lots of people have generously told me why they love it :) I just...have issues. But that doesn't make me not glad that so many people *do * love it.

Actually...I feel like aside from Jack and Daniel, there isn't that much Jack friendship fic out there period. I think partly that's due to who Jack is but...

Yep. Subtext. And just...it *is* hard with Sam and Jack because there is something there canonically so if you write them how they are onscreen...well, people can see it lots of different ways.

[nomadicwriter]

I consider Fragments to be something of a Sam and Jack friendship story (and also a Jack and Hammond story) despite the whole dark twisty mystery A plot. I would have tagged it with Sam as the second character if I didn't know that would immediately lose me potential gen readers and gain me droves of disappointed shippers. (I'm convinced that a lot of male/female friendship fic escapes notice this way: people are reluctant to label it with both character names together because they know people will automatically assume it's shipfic and be put off or have false expectations according to taste.)

On a related note, I must rec Sleepers, a fantastic (and novel-length!) season six Sam and Jack fic that I think gets passed over by gen readers because it's by Alli Snow, who's much better known as a Sam/Jack ship writer.

[kalquessa.livejournal.com]

Agreed on "Sleepers," I was hesitant to try any of Alli' stuff because of the heavy ship bias most of it had, but that fic is really pretty awesome and has some sterling Sam and Jack friendship.

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

I'm convinced that a lot of male/female friendship fic escapes notice this way: people are reluctant to label it with both character names together because they know people will automatically assume it's shipfic and be put off or have false expectations according to taste.

::nods:: That's why I always specify friendship when I'm listing categories, yes.

And it's a very fine line to walk. If a fic is labeled "Sam/Jack," it will attract droves of readers that otherwise wouldn't bother to click on the link But the writer would lose the readers who hate Sam/Jack but love their friendship, and if that's the kind of story the author was writing in the first place...

I liked Fragments quite a lot when I read it, back in the day. :) And thanks for the link to Sleepers; I'll give it a try.

[nomadicwriter]

On fanfiction.net, alas, the character filters just let you search for two names together with no way to sort the genfic from the romance. So unless the writer has specifically stuck "friendship" somewhere in the summary (and I for one don't tend to use labels like that, because my stories are usually long and not so easily classified) you're reduced to clicking and hoping it's not going to turn out to be a shipfic that's not clearly labelled.

[kalquessa.livejournal.com]

Jack and... Jack? Yes, we got that too.

*cracks up* Go me!

However, I...have no Jack and Sam fics to contribute. None at all. *hangs head* Which is weird, because if I had a ship at all, it would probably be Sam/Jack. Perhaps I should sign up for Aurora's ficathon when she sets it up. Only I keep saying I'm not going to sign up for ANY MORE FICATHONS for a while, for serious this time.

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

::taps sceptre meaningfully::

You may have noted that I have a fairly good record at getting you to sign up for gen ficathons... ;)

[kalquessa.livejournal.com]

I had notice...I was hoping you hadn't. *hides behind couch from sceptre*

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Face it. You are doomed. :)

(You can "homage" good stories you find among the mathoms...)

[kalquessa.livejournal.com]

*is doomed*

(Yeah, one nice thing about Stargate is that you can totally get away with writing stories that are "Like that Star Trek episode, only different," because the show does that all the time.)

[supplyship.livejournal.com]

I wrote one for Abyssis' birthday Alphabet Soup. C is for Carter Special (http://supplyship.livejournal.com/18243.html)

Actually, the other one I wrote for her b-day, X is for Xbox could be seen as Jack/Sam friend-fic too... it just also includes the other colonels. :D

ETA: G rating for both, set anytime Sam's still a major, and Jack's still a colonel.

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

I loved Carter Special! And hey, someone once asked me if it was canon - that's a pretty clear sign that it definitely resonated.

And Jack being smug about Sam to the other colonels? Definitely qualifies. :)

[supplyship.livejournal.com]

Someone asked you if it was canon? That's... really kind of awesome! :D

I never really got any feedback for either of those fics, so that's nice to know!

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

::grins::

Have you ever thought of reposting them on your own LJ? There's a reason I urged everyone to archive their fics - not just for good linkage, but so they could get good feedback!

[supplyship.livejournal.com]

I did post them in my lj eventually. Took me awhile to figure out that I could do that, heh. ;) *iz slow* The link above points to those 2 fics in my lj.

[sg-wonderland.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear, I always think the reason there isn't a deluge of Jack/Sam friendship fic is because of all the folks with ship-goggles firmly in place. Until I realized that I hadn't actually written any Jack/Sam friendship fic...ever....and I'm not a shipper.
So I suppose I should take myself to task and try to write something frienshippy.

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Any kind of fic enabling is a good thing! :)

[aelfgyfu_mead]

I'm pretty sure you read this one; I thought you'd commented on it, but it's not in the LJ post I have linked to this story. You may well have said something somewhere else, though:
"Not Enough Beer": Jack just wants some quiet time with his telescope after the team returns from "Unnatural Selection," but Sam wants to talk.

Of course, all my SG-1 stories are gen and pretty friendship-oriented, but I found that I didn't have a lot of Sam and Jack scenes aside from "Not Enough Beer"; I have a few scenes with the two of them in "Fostering Relations," but even there they're usually interacting at least as much with other people! I have lots of Jack and Daniel friendship, some Sam and Daniel friendship, some Teal'c and Daniel, even some Cam and Daniel and Vala and Daniel...you no doubt see the trend.

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Huh. That's odd. It's certainly on my to-rec list in the Sam and Jack section! Shame on me. :)

you no doubt see the trend

What is this obsessed-with-Daniel of which you speak? ;)

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

Heh! Sam and Jack friendship, hmm? I wrote one, but it may not count because it's Robot Sam and Jack. :) http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/6389.html

Great post. Looks like you already found a lot of great ones!

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Robot Sam and Jack definitely count! Thanks - I'll add the link to my to-read list. :)