The Approved Mode of Payback
May 29, 2008
This is a Spike/Xander story, continuing in Blue-Eyed Boy, with a Spike/Buffy epilogue, Some Scenes from the Later Life of Two Heroes (which continues in the in-progress Waiting Around.) I was just looking for some light, snarky, S/X fun when I stumbled across this, like fishing for trout and catching a shark instead.
After Not Fade Away, Spike is living with Illyria, mourning Angel and the rest of the gang, and isn’t really prepared when Xander, back from Africa and profoundly damaged, shows up in LA.
Over and above some really great writing, there are a few things I think this story does really well. Most S/X stories, profoundly as I love them, tend to gloss over Xander’s attitude toward demons in general and Spike in particular. This one doesn’t, while offering a plausible reason why Xander would get involved with him. I like that the story doesn’t take the easy way out, making Spike the answer to all of Xander’s problems. There’s also a certain amount of humour, even absurdity, which helps to lighten some of the darker moments.
The best thing about The Approved Mode of Payback and Blue-Eyed Boy is that they take a hard look at what the outcome of Chosen might have been, and sadly, their predictions seem all too plausible.
The Difference Engine
May 7, 2008
Oh my god, I love this story! John is a robot.
SGA fandom kicks so much ass.
Unrealized Peacekeeper
Apr 11, 2008
This is a multi-part, in-progress AU spinoff from Unrealized Realities, exploring how John Crichton might have come to be a Peacekeeper Captain. Although it’s unfortunately not finished yet, the first two seasons (up until When the Chips are Down) are complete, and the latest update (The Devil You Know) was posted March 22, 2008, so it’s still being updated!
In Unrealized Peacekeeper, Tauvo Crais manages to avoid a collison with John’s module, so the escaping prisoners on Moya don’t bother to recapture John and Aeryn. Instead, John is put to work on wormhole tech by Captain Crais.
I love this story so much. The characterizations are wonderful, and so is the plot. It manages to be faithful to the big events of Farscape canon, while still telling its own story. If it’s ever complete, it may rival In the Company of Ghosts as my favourite Farscape story.
Pieces Tossed Aside
Feb 21, 2008
Firefly fandom comes up with some of the scariest stories I’ve ever read.
Honor Amongst Thieves
Feb 14, 2008
AU. Vala Mal Doran crash-lands on a world where she can’t communicate with the natives. Luckily, there’s a man with amnesia who seems to speak her language. In fact, his immense skill with languages makes him a valuable parter in the treasure-hunting business. Long, fun, a little too sappy at the end for my taste, but overall quite enjoyable.
There are two short companion pieces: Honor Among Thieves: Points of View, showing the reactions of some of the people Daniel and Vala meet during their adventures, and Honor Among Thieves: First Christmas, the title of which is fairly self-explanatory.
The Crown of Janus
Feb 7, 2008
An alternate Season 9. In need of Daniel’s expert assistance, Vala kidnaps him while on a mission. There are things about this story that disturb me, but I like it anyway.
Lucky
Jan 31, 2008
Daniel and Vala find themselves stranded on a viciously misogynistic planet, with time to kill before they can make it to the stargate.
He said nothing. She smiled slightly, turned on her side, said, “I’m going to sleep. Wake me if you feel an uncontrollable burst of lust.”
If he did, he was grimly determined not to let her know about it.
And the last two lines are perfect.
Voices of Reason
Jan 30, 2008
John’s immune system destroys his translator microbes, leaving him unable to communicate directly with any of the others.Set after Different Destinations but before Eat Me.
In the Company of Ghosts
Jan 29, 2008
A long, sprawling AU, and definitely one of the best Farscape fics ever written. The prowler that collides with John’s module in the pilot is Aeryn Sun’s, and Tauvo Crais is the one swept along on Moya’s starburst. A Moment to Ourselves is the NC-17 coda.
KoddiakkeMax does such a clever job of re-imagining Farscape canon. All the details are perfect; everyone is so perfectly in character, because we can watch how different events change them from their canon selves. There are lots of well-drawn original characters, too, and a brilliant plot.
In the Company of Ghosts makes my top ten list, because it does what the very best fanfic always does to me: makes me wish it was canon.
Should’ve Brought a Bag
Jan 28, 2008
Obsidian Spirits
Jan 27, 2008
Slight AU to S4 and Peacekeeper Wars. TalynJohn is dead, but not quite as dead as MoyaJohn would like.
An alternate ending for Out of Their Minds. John, Aeryn, and Rygel don’t get switched back right away, so John has time to do some (more) exploring. On his own, and with a partner.
His laugh is hollow and nervous. When did he become such a tittering virgin? Oh yeah, about the same time Aeryn Sun got a dick and started sniffing for his cherry.
Scientist, Astronaut, and Nymphomaniac: the Nine Lives of John Crichton by Feldman
The Scientific Method
Nov 11, 2007
They find an Ancient device that allows John to control non-Ancient tech with his mind. And also…other things.
And the accidental orgy? Priceless.
“Wow!” said John, with deliberate over-brightness. “That sunlight today. Really…” he paused for dramatic effect, and a smile started to tug at the corner of Rodney’s mouth, “refractive!”
Rodney snorted and stuffed a piece of sushi into his mouth. With his usual lack of care for the way he was flashing half-chewed food, he said, “Just like a rainbow, you mean?”
His gaze finally met John’s, and they both grinned at each other like maniacs.
“I can’t believe you just set me up with a gay joke!” Rodney said, but he was clearly pleased at picking up John’s cue. “You’re a walking cliche. You know that, right?”
“You know me, Rodney,” John replied. “The perfect straight man.”
Mirror Dance
Nov 11, 2007
The premise behind this is…such a strange idea. It’s cliché-fic that hasn’t yet become a cliché, and done really well.
An AU where Carson’s gene therapy has an unforeseen side effect. And it’s not exactly a bodyswap fic.
You’re Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl)
Nov 11, 2007
When Rodney and Cadman switch bodies, Rodney decides he and Sheppard should have sex. Sheppard is uncooperative.
Ardhanarishvara
Nov 10, 2007
Okay, it has become apparent that SGA genderfuck fics are my favourite stories ever, so it’s no surprise that this long (the first part rings in at 668k), two-part WIP exploring the consequences of an inadvertant sex-change is going straight onto my Top 100 list. Don’t be put off by its in-progress status, because it doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger and would be well worth anyone’s time even if it were never finished.
Sheppard, Teyla, and Ronon accidentally volunteer for sex-reassignment in an attempt to gain valuable technology from an advanced Pegasus world. Although Rodney isn’t directly affected, all four struggle to find some kind of balance. Meanwhile, they still have to deal with the challenges presented by the Pegasus world they visit.
Although the story is technically slash, there isn’t actually any male/male sex at all so far, and the sexual relationships, although important to the plot, don’t dominate it.
(And if you’re anything like me, girl!Sheppard will be enough to convince you.)
Ardhanarishvara by Auburn and Mona
Written by the Victors
Oct 10, 2007
Atlantis
I have a long queue of other stories waiting to be recommended, but sometimes a story comes along, so wonderful that it sweeps you away, and this is one of those.
A selection of passages from scholarly works treating the events following Atlantis’s break from the SGC and Earth, interspersed with the story of those same events. My mind boggles at the amount of work that must have gone into this, over and above the work of conceiving and creating such a marvellous tale.
“Yeah, I like it,” John said, sitting back.
Rodney jerked a sharp look at him. “You mean, I actually get to name something?”
“Just this one thing.”
“Oh, well, fine. So an electronic identity card that serves as a provisional IDC, situates its owner within a trust network, and can be used to effect trades in units of Mars Bars?”
“Exactly,” John said. “It beats the fuck out of Amex.”
Although there’s McShep, it’s really mostly a gen story.
Smoke and Frost
Aug 30, 2007
Tanya Huff (Smoke series)
It doesn’t usually get cold in Vancouver, but there’s a new villain in town. Naturally, it’s up to the entire gang to save the day.
Ride
Aug 30, 2007
Tanya Huff (Smoke series)
Tony and Lee try to continue their relationship, but some new, sinister deaths demand their attention.
Straight as a Circle
Jun 29, 2007
Atlantis
John Sheppard wakes up straight, which puts an understandable crimp in his relationship with Rodney.
One day, about two months ago, I thought, “John Sheppard is *so gay* that he couldn’t be in a ‘woke up gay’ story. He’d have to wake up straight instead.” And that is what happened here.