Hello! For a while I've had a mad plan to create a recs page that's sortable/searchable by keywords. Unfortunately, I need my husband's help to do that, and he's busy making money. So I've finally decided to put what I have up and hope that some day we'll get it prettified. Until then, I've sorted them into Gen, McKay/Sheppard, Het, and Other sections for easier browsing. If you have any suggesions for keywords you'd like to see listed, please drop me a line (shetiger at gmail dot com). This is definitely a work in progress--More recs coming soon!
I've left off all ratings other than 'Explicit' (for stories that are sexually explicit) because there is rarely consistency between stories, expectations, and various rating systems. The links to the stories themselves are frequently on livejournal, but I've also tried to give the author's homepage for those who prefer to read that way.

Gen:

Resupply Ship by Minnow.
This is a short ficlet set a few years in the future, branching off from Siege II. There have been costs along the way, and Rodney and Radek have a little surprise for John. This hit me in the gut in a wonderfully joyful way, bringing prickles of happy tears to my eyes the first time I read it.
Spoilers: Set after Siege II, diverges from there.
Keywords: Gen, McKay, Sheppard, Zelenka, Vignette.

Flying Blind by Minnow.
This is a phenomenal team (version 1.0) fic. Things go a little bit weird, a little bit wrong on one of their missions, and this is how the team deals with it. Minnow takes us through each of the characters (+ Elizabeth's) POV's, and each voice is spot-on. The action plot is well done, but it's really the story of how each of the characters deal with the stresses placed on them and how they interact with the rest of the team. Her insights are amazing.
Spoilers: Through Siege II, diverges from there.
Keywords: Gen, Team, McKay, Sheppard, Ford, Emmagan, Weir, Drama, Friendship, 10000 words.

My Soul From Out That Shadow and Predatory by Frostfire.
These two stories are about Steve the Wraith in captivity, which is interesting in itself. The first is told from Steve's perspective, the second from a nameless Marine guarding him. What gets me about these stories, though, is the way Frostfire just reveals John Sheppard through the others' perspectives.
Spoilers: Through Poisoning the Well.
Keywords: Gen, Sheppard, Wraith, Character Study, Vignette, Episode-Related.

Exigencies by rivier
This is quite possibly my favorite story in the entire fandom. While off-world, Rodney is captured, and John is determined to get him back--no matter the cost. The story is told from an unsympathetic character's viewpoint, and Riv does a wonderful job of showing the dark and dirty side of our heroes, while allowing the reader to empathize one-hundred percent with their actions. She also gives the reader a glimpse at a very plausible, non-huts-and-spears Pegasus society. The story is gen, but easily reads as slash if you're bent that way.
Spoilers: None.
Keywords: McKay, Sheppard, Violence, Drama.

Severance by Purpleyin.
Teyla, and Halling, and the question of responsibility and the bonds of home. A nice look at some stuff the show has touched on but forgotten.
Spoilers: Through Hot Zone.
Keywords: Emmagan, Halling, Vignette, Character Study.


McKay/Sheppard:


Seven Circles Twisting by Brighid E. Stone.
I had to peek through my fingers the first time I read this. So creepy, but in a perfectly plausible, this could happen way. This is another team fic where something goes wrong on a mission (hey, when doesn't it), but it's the recovering that's the important part. Brighid handles the plot and emotion with her usual elegant touch. Such vivid imagery that you can feel the horror that they experience.
Spoilers: None.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, McKay, Sheppard, Emmagan, Beckett, Ford, Weir, Team, Horror, Drama, 2000 words.

Mise-en-Scene by carleton97.
The team has another one of those days. This is a tiny ficlet, but all the sweeter for that. I love how very, very everyday it is, which makes the small moment at the end carry that much more weight.
Spoilers: None
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, McKay, Sheppard, Team, Vignette.

We All Arrive By Different Streets (and part 2) by Grrrl
Aliens slip John a mickey, and he's not happy with what he tells Rodney. Especially when it gets Rodney thinking. This is a great look at a conflicted John, which wasn't something a lot of writers had explored when this story was written. Hot as well. Love this. Explicit.
Spoilers: None.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, First Time, McKay, Sheppard.

Owl Eyes by salieri
This is a freaky 'what-if' tag for the episode 38 Minutes. (Written very early on, so if it doesn't quite jive with what we now know of canon, don't think less of the author.) The imagery is stunning, the plot intriguing and scary without being so horrifying that I couldn't finish. Mostly gen with a bit of slash towards the end.
Spoilers: 38 Minutes.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, Horror, Drama, Episode-Related, McKay, Sheppard, Emmagan, Ford.

As You Wish (and Part 2) by nel_ani
Aliens do something to Rodney, and now he's all over John. Great twist on the 'aliens make them do it' cliche, plotty and sweet with a bit of angst. Explicit.
Spoilers: Through Hot Zone.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, AMTDI, McKay, Sheppard, Team, First Time.

Two Weeks by chelle and The Grrl
What would you do with your last two weeks? Set at the end of Season 1, just after The Brotherhood when they've discovered that the Wraith are two weeks away, Chelle and the Grrrl ask that question. And decide that John and Rodney would want to go out having sex. This story takes a rather simple, standard slash setup and turns it into not only a wrenching, aching coda for the end of the season, but also something that's lovely and deeply intimate without being sugary. Explicit.
Spoilers: Through Siege 1.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, McKay, Sheppard, Episode-Related, Angst, First Time.

Referencing Gilbert Ryle by Brighid E. Stone
A cool twist on 'aliens make them do it' story, achingly beautiful and elegantly done. John and Rodney get some visitors they weren't expecting. (Think The Long Goodbye, only better and before TPTB did it.) Explicit.
Spoilers: Not really.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, McKay, Sheppard, Weir, Beckett, AMTDI, Drama, First Time.

Taste of Blood by Coreopsis.
Rodney gets seperated from the team on a mission. Tense with understated emotion. Lovely.
Spoilers: None.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, McKay, Sheppard, Team, Vignette.

Verb, Transitive by kageygirl.
Kagey opens up windows into how John and Rodney's relationship grows. Each section is a perfect little moment in time between the two, yet they link together into a whole that's revelatory. Explicit.
Spoilers: Not really.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, McKay, Sheppard, Drama.

Undertow by kageygirl.
Yet another moment off-world when things have gone wrong, leaving John and Rodney slogging along together in their search for safety. I particularly love how she turns the tables for just a moment, showing how well-matched a pair they are.
Spoilers: None.
Keywords: Pre-slash, McKay, Sheppard, Vignette.

The Education of Rodney McKay by Cupidsbow.
This is funny and sweet and slots in after Duet so naturally. Not terribly smutty, but I found it to be very, very hot. (There is some semi-explicit McKay/Katie Brown.)
Spoilers: Duet.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, McKay, Sheppard, Katie Brown, Humor, Friendship, Episode-Related.

Coping Mechanisms by amireal.
Rodney's injured, and as is always the case, this illuminates John and Rodney's feelings for each other. The story's focus, however, is them acknowledging that fact and then trying not to act on it, and the slow build of the relationship after they do. Explicit.
Spoilers: Set sometime second season or after.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, McKay, Sheppard, Zelenka, Beckett, Hurt/Comfort, Drama, 25,000 words.

Impossibilium by Canadian Snoopy.
There's trading music, and John thinking Rodney's dead, and then he's not, and somehow that all fits together. This is a longer fic that manages to give a nice sense of Atlantis life and their intrepid expeditions as well as good relationship development between John and Rodney. Sweet and hot, emotional h/c. Explicit.
Spoilers: Not really.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, McKay, Sheppard, Weir, First Time, 14,000 words, Angst.

Festivities by The Grrrl.
This was the story that convinced me that John and Rodney were doing it, and would be very, very hot as the did it. (I'd only seen two or three eps at that point, and needed a story to make me believe!) Aliens encourage them to do it--with somebody else, for one of those whacky alien rituals. Actually, the story is very sensuous and beautiful, not whacky at all--though of course there are those wonderful moments of John-and-Rodney humor. And like most Grrrl stories, it's scorchingly hot. Explicit, with some explicit John/m and Rodney/m.
Spoilers: None.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, McKay, Sheppard, First Time, Voyeurism, AMTDI.

Through Midnight Rain, Question Me Again by Sage.
The team find a deserted planet with a piece of technology they can't figure out--but that's not all they bring home with them. This is a ghost story, so it's a little bit creepy, but it's so much more than that. It's John/Rodney, but the focus is really on the team (John, Rodney, Ronon, Teyla) as much as anything. Sage does a great job of creating atmosphere without forgetting the story. I love her insight into Teyla and Ronon, keeping them unique and alien without making them primitive or dumb. The John/Rodney stuff is both sweet and slightly achy, in the very best way. Explicit slash, with some hints of femslash.
Spoilers: Not really.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, Team, Sheppard, McKay, Emmagan, Dex, Horror, Drama, 14,500 words.

The First Pressing by Lacey McBain.
A visit to a planet gets John to reevaluate a lot of his ideas. This manages to hit just about everything I want in a John/Rodney story--and oddly enough, lunch. Angsty at first, but with warmth and joy in spades to make up for it, all told with lush, vivid language that only adds to the story rather than getting in the way. And hot. Oh, yes, hot. Explicit.
Spoilers: Set sometime Season 2 or after.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, Sheppard, McKay, Team, Friendship, Angst, Joy, 8800 words.

Five Ways John and Rodney Sumfink Sumfink by danvers, especially Heat.
There are only four AU's here at the moment, but danvers promises the fifth, and I can't wait. While I'm not a big fan of alternate universes and alternate realities, I do enjoy them when they're well done (and don't wind up making me bawl my eyes out). Danvers' run the gamut from humor to adventure, from slightly absurd to sweetly romantic--but I can always hear the characters. Explicit.
Spoilers: Not really.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, Sheppard, McKay, Team, Friendship, AU, Humor, Action, Fusion, First Time.
Added: June 9, 2006

Best Ever by Neery.
Misunderstandings about the relationship stories can get oh-so-emo and stupid very quickly, but Neery manages to make this one slightly angsty, kind of funny, wonderfully sweet, and oh-so-hot. John and Rodney are fuck buddies, and, well. Read it and find out. Explicit.
Spoilers: Oblique for Duet.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, Sheppard, McKay, Established Relationship.
Added: June 16, 2006

Doing This Here by Purna.
John and Rodney back on Earth, re-evaluating the boundaries on their relationship. I'm a big fan of the 'fuck-buddies who realize they're something more' trope, and Purna gives it an excellent turn here. Explicit.
Spoilers: Set sometime after the events of Season 2.
Keywords: Slash, McKay/Sheppard, Sheppard, McKay, On Earth, Established Relationship, Jealousy.
Added: October 9, 2006


Other (Other slash, Threesomes/Moresomes, Multiple pairings, etc.):


Left Behind by Miera.
This is a dark AU where only McKay, Sheppard, and Weir survive the destruction of Atlantis, and are back on Earth. John's doing his best to keep everyone's pieces together--but he's not doing so well for himself. Explicit McKay/Sheppard, Sheppard/Weir, with implied McKay/Sheppard/Weir.
Spoilers: None.
Keywords: Threesome, McKay/Sheppard, Sheppard/Weir, McKay/Sheppard/Weir, Angst, Future Fic, AU.

Always Full of Thirst by Alizarin.
This is a smut-heavy insert for Lost Boys, building on the tension and testosterone that was flying around because of the Wraith enzyme. I'm particularly fond of her Ronon voice, however, and the insights into the insights he might have. *g* Explicit McKay/Sheppard, McKay/Sheppard/Dex.
Spoilers: Lost Boys.
Keywords: Threesome, Slash, McKay/Sheppard, McKay/Sheppard/Dex, Sheppard, McKay, Dex, Episode-Related.

Shatter by Ladyjax.
Teyla has to fight to save John and Rodney--gladiator style--and she doesn't want John to see. This is a short but powerful piece that I particularly like for the dynamic between Rodney and Teyla. Slight hints of future Sheppard/McKay/Emmagan.
Spoilers: Not really.
Keywords: Pre-het, Sheppard/Emmagan, Emmagan, McKay, Sheppard, Violence, Angst, Friendship.

Hospitality by Ozsaur.
This is an Aliens Make Them Do It fic with a bit of a punch. Very hot and sensual, with a lovely sense of connection between the three, but there's more than that. Ozsaur builds the momentum carefully so that there's a tone change towards the end. It left me slightly creeped out, yet at the same time I was happy with what happened between the three. Explicit.
Spoilers: None.
Keywords: Threesome, Sheppard/McKay/Emmagan, AMTDI, Angst, Vignette.

Conduit by chelle.
Like the title implies, this is conduit fic, where the relationship actually happening occurs only because it is a link to another person--in this case, Rodney. This is angsty and slightly dark, but in a very delicious way. Explicit het (Sheppard/Weir).
Spoilers: Siege III.
Keywords: Slash, Het, Sheppard/Weir, Weir/McKay, McKay/Sheppard, Sheppard, Weir, Angst.

Hunger by amireal
This takes place immediately after Common Ground. John's unsettled, not quite sure if he fits his body after what happened. Deliciously hot, both the John/Teyla and John/Rodney parts, with deep warmth and friendship. Plus, amireal brings up some thinky stuff from the ep without getting boringly introspective. Explicit het and slash (not at the same time).
Spoilers: Common Ground.
Keywords: Slash, Het, Sheppard/Emmagan, McKay/Sheppard, Sheppard, McKay, Emmagan, Angst, Episode-Related, First Time.
Added: October 11, 2006


Het:


Somewhere I Have Never Travelled by Brighid E. Stone.
This is a story you have to take on faith that it will pay off in the end, because at first you don't understand what's going on and who it's happening to. I've put this under het, even though it's not a romance story, because ultimately the het pairing takes the brunt of the story. I don't want to spoil the end, so I won't say any more than that. It's angsty and hard-hitting, but there are some lovely points as well.
Spoilers: None
Keywords: Het, Team, Emmagan, McKay, Sheppard, Ford, Team, Angst, Drama, Friendship.

Charmed Sleepers by Brighid E. Stone.
This is other!Weir and Janus from Before I Sleep, and it's fitting and painful and somehow makes things right. For anyone who ever thought about how utterly alone Elizabeth was during those 10,000 years.
Spoilers: Before I Sleep.
Keywords: Het, Weir/Janus, Weir, Ancients, Episode-Related, Angst.

Too Stupid To Know by Miera.
This is dark-future fic, where the rest of the Atlanteans have been lost, and only Weir and McKay remain. It's sad, and raw, but despite that there's a ray of warmth and caring that makes it bearable. Explicit.
Spoilers: None.
Keywords: Het, Weir/McKay, Weir, McKay, Angst, Future Fic, Drama.

One to Let Go by Smitty.
I'm fascinated by the character of Colonel Marshall Sumner, but since we saw so little of him on the show, I doubted that I would find any stories about him believable. This story disabused me of that notion. Smitty sets it just before the expedition leaves for Atlantis, when opportunity is rife for taking chances. Elizabeth runs into Sumner, and sees past the Marine to the man. I could hear Robert Patrick speak the lines throughout the story. Explicit.
Spoilers: Rising.
Keywords: Het, Weir/Sumner, Weir, Sumner, Episode-Related, 10,000 words.

Best Two Out of Three by jssangel.
Written for a Kink/Cliche challenge with the prompts of finger-fucking and sex with clothes on, this is hot-hot-hot Weir/Lorne. It's the constraints they put on themselves, and being pushed past those constraints, that makes this piece especially steamy. Explicit.
Spoilers: Not really.
Keywords: Het, Weir/Lorne, Weir, Lorne, AMTDI, First Time.
Added: June 16, 2006



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