Rec a 'Hidden Gem' by Carolyn Claire

[carolyn-claire.livejournal.com]

In my comment to summerfling in response to her comm post on popularity vs. quality, I mentioned that I might open up a thread for recommendations of potentially overlooked stories as a way to further the cause of wider readership for stories by newer writers, since some felt that that was an issue. Normally, we focus on discussion, here, rather than recs (there are plenty of good recs journals, already), but in this case, I'll make an exception.

Do you feel there are hidden gems to be mined, possibly by newer or lesser-known writers, that deserve to be read and enjoyed more widely? You're welcome to rec those stories here, in this thread. Be aware, though, (here's the tricky part) that a writer who's new to you may be someone else's long-time favorite, and a story you haven't seen recced anywhere may be much loved and talked about in other circles. Let's think of these author and story recs as 'new to me' or 'unknown to me'--and please don't be offended if you or your story are referred to as new or unsung, here. It really is hard to know who's seen what, anymore, SGA fandom having become so large, and if someone wants to be sure your story is seen by as many people as possible, that's a nice, thing, yes?

Please provide a link to any story you rec that will take readers to a page that lists story info, warnings, spoilers, etc., or provide that sort of info in your rec blurb. And tell us why you think this story deserves a spot in the 'top tier'--these are gems we're looking for, stories that you think rival those you've seen most recced and discussed in terms of, well, whatever it is about a story that makes you consider it one of the best. And do feel free to drop a rec into this thread at any time, indefinitely. There can never be too many good recs, only too little time.

ETA: If you have or know of a recs page that you feel covers more ground than the average, do feel free to mention that, too. And a shout-out to ship_recs for pointing out things I otherwise wouldn't have seen/tried and providing helpful teaser-tastes of stories. Also, sga_newsletter--no recs, but links to all the new stuff I might otherwise never hear about.

Comments

[cupidsbow.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you made the caveat about this being a thread of authors new to *me*, because I'd hate to give accidental offence.

Wow, it was really hard to just pick a handful, as I have 312 recs in this fandom so far (Good grief! And there are more that aren't written up yet. SGA really is the fandom that keeps on giving.):

Title: Time After Time (http://www.livejournal.com/users/randomeliza/84493.html)
Author: randomeliza
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Rating: PG-13
Why you should read this: Song fics are notorius for being dreadful. But this? This is the antithesis of dreadful, and yet it is indeed a songfic.

Title: Math Camp (http://www.livejournal.com/community/sga_flashfic/169751.html)
Author: pollymel
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Rating: PG
Why you should read this: Awwwww! This is so freaking adorable.

Title: Sistinas (http://www.livejournal.com/users/surrealphantast/149412.html)
Author: Jennghis Kahn (surrealphantast)
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: None (implied McKay/Sheppard)
Rating: M
Why you should read this: This a creepy little zombie fic that I really liked a hell of a lot.

Title: Sometime Soon Would Be Nice (http://www.livejournal.com/community/sga_flashfic/109518.html)
Author: maisierita
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Rating: R
Why you should read this: This is a story I read way, way back in the first flush of my romance with SGA fanfic. It's stuck with me, because I just adore the premise. John is so hot when he's in peril.

Title: Babble (http://www.livejournal.com/users/ladyflowdi/321339.html)
Author: Dianann (ladyflowdi)
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Rating: NC-17
Why you should read this: God, how much do I love this author? She writes PWPs that I find enthralling, mainly because she has a knack for turning what should be bad!fic premises into the exact opposite of bad!fic. I'm in awe! *happy sigh*

I pulled these from my rec jounal. All my Stargate recs (for both SG-1 and SG:A) on rec_room can be found here (http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=rec_room&keyword=Stargate&filter=all).

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

OK, I'll give it a try. Like cupidsbow, I'll disclaim that these are "unknown" writers. Moreover, I'll also disclaim the top tier thing. All I can say that the stories worked for me on various levels including the aesthetic one (unlike other stories that work to me on kink levels and I'd have to qualify as guilty pleasures). These stories actually are recced (I found them somehow, I guess :-), but they're not part of every rec list out there as far as I can tell. [And since I'm excited about cupidsbow's recs, I thought maybe someone might not have seen one or the other of these...]

* Dasha's Untalented And Completely Unprepared, But Giving It His Best Shot Anyway (http://www.area52hkh.net/asd/dasha/untalent.php). I like hurt/comfort a lot, and this is doing it well without moving into the over the top territory. I like the interaction between all the characters, and while I love me my McShep, the frienship and general concern and caring for one's teammates is almost the better part of the story for me. Her other SGA fic, Charting the Motion of Planets (http://www.area52hkh.net/asd/dasha/charting.php) is more H/C and a bit less believable to me in terms of characterization but well written and definitely a treat for H/C fans. (and I like that the suffering party's not the same...H/C authors sometimes hone in on one of the two and it's always that one who gets raped/beaten/shot/... :-)

* cgb's Phantom Limb (http://www.mandysbitch.com/fic/phantom.htm) I have no idea how I found this story, but I remember how visceral my response was when I read it. i like the circling the traumatic memory trope, and I love the way language and memory are treated here, how the story itself mirrors the characters' inability to tell their story.

* kel's Merging (http://obsessivetendencies.net/fiction/symbiotic.html) Actually not an unknown to me author but I think someone whose two stories deserve to be recced more widely. I was trying to decide whether to rec this one or her longer they're advertizing in the sky for people like us (http://obsessivetendencies.net/fiction/alpha.html), and while I like the latter more, it also has one of my almost bullet proof kinks, and i think the shorter merging is the more technically interesting story.

Notable not mentions: Lacey McBain's Care in the Holding (http://www.stickymanpress.mediawood.net/careintheholding.html), the story I immediately flashed to during Freedom's shooting scene and Summerfling's Less With Longing than Wonder (http://community.livejournal.com/mckay_sheppard/407144.html), a less flashy story than her longer Consider the Great Wall of China (http://www.ashotofmontego.com/sga/china.htm), but very carefully and gorgeously structured and executed and it stayed with me for quite a while. Reason neither one seems to fall in the hidden gem category is that I'm pretty sure I have seen them on rec pages, but in case they're not, i think they ought to be (and are on mine :-)

And now I wish that more people would check their hard drives and rec pages and look for what they haven't seen mentioned that often...but trying to write this I realize how incredibly fraught with difficulty this entire enterprise is. So, maybeI should pre-emptively apologize against potential offense??? :-)

[cetpar.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'll take a stab at this, too.

Title: Kept By Ourselves in Silence and Apart (http://spike21.livejournal.com/274341.html)
Author: spike21
Pairing: Rodney/Ronon
Rating: "D for dark. V for very." (NC-17)
Warnings: "Torture, Angst, Sex, Other Stuff"
Summary: "Rodney McKay and Ronon Dex, in extremis"

Maybe I've just missed it, but I have not seen this story mentioned on any rec pages. Maybe this is because spike21 is relatively new to writing in the SGA fandom, although she is not new to writing fan fiction. Maybe it is because the pairing is not McKay/Sheppard. Regardless, this is one story that I keep going back to reread.

The story is dark, and I found parts difficult to read, but nothing is gratuitious. It's about endurance, survival, healing, and forging a relationship between two very different people under trying circumstances. I think the Ronon POV is excellent, and I like the Rodney characterization, too. And even though I am a McKay/Sheppard girl at heart, it's the story that sold me on a Rodney/Ronon pairing. Even if I can't explain it well, something about it makes me want to read it over and over again. And it has the best use of (and explanation for) Ronon's tattoo I have seen in any story.

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

One I read last night and really liked: Voices by arionchan (http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=5741). McKay/Sheppard, PG-13. It's about Sheppard and McKay and Atlantis, the ways they connect. She wrote it for the Urban Legend challenge and I have to say that there are some real gems hidden in those stories.