(no subject)

[butterfly]

I read the SGA story that's being recced up and down (freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose), and it really made me realize how secondary my SGA love is to my SG-1 love. I couldn't buy that the SGC would go, well, asshole. I couldn't believe that Sam and Daniel and Jack (and Landry and Hammond and Mitchell) would ever let that happen. Because of that, I was jolted out of the story and was never able to re-enter it fully, reading it from a distance instead. Also, I wondered why the story mentioned Landry and yet didn't mention the Orii, leaving me at a bit of a loss as to where it departed from canon in the SG-1 universe. As these things apparently bothered no one else, perhaps it's just a 'me' thing.

The story itself is, as the recs imply, quite well-written and it delves quite deeply into Rodney's character. It's a good story. But it's not for me (just as Farscape was a very good television show, but just wasn't for me).

This is not the first time this type of story has failed to appeal to me (I have never finished reading The End of the Road, a due South story where RayK and Fraser's relationship fails to work out, but RayK stays up north and I believe ends up falling in love with Canada itself. (ETA: No, apparently the one where he stays up north is a different story that depresses me, as he does end up leaving in this one.)). Even thinking about it makes me kinda want to throw things. And certainly not because it's a bad story.

It's not even the type of story itself -- I read angst and the getting over of angst. I'm not opposed on principle to relationships not working out or John getting himself killed and Atlantis being abandoned. I've read and enjoyed stories about... well, actually, not that last one, as it's pretty specific, but about that kind of thing.

I think it's because when I read fanfiction, I like the vibe of the story to match the vibe of the show. That's part of why cesperanza's due South stuff works so well for me -- it's got the same sweet, slightly off-kilter vibe that the show has. When I'm reading fanfiction, I'm looking for more of what I love about the show, and that differs depending on the show.

Road and Freedom seem to inhabit slightly... less magical (more real?) realities than the shows themselves. And since a large part of why I love those shows is the sparkle and zing, I miss the gloss when it's stripped away.

Comments

[katie-m.livejournal.com]

Also, I wondered why the story mentioned Landry and yet didn't mention the Orii, leaving me at a bit of a loss as to where it departed from canon in the SG-1 universe. As these things apparently bothered no one else, perhaps it's just a 'me' thing.

No, not just you. The thing with the SGC I chalked up to personal attachment, a kind of grumpy "hey, My Team is the good guys, dammit!" but the thing with the Ori not appearing and the Goa'uld getting several mentions I suspect may be unfamiliarity with SG-1 canon, since it wasn't signposted as an AU. I dunno. Anyway, I was willing to work with it, since it was part of the setup, but I did find it a little discomfiting.

[amireal.livejournal.com]

Okay, that one I do agree with.

Pet peeve #4422: SGA writers feel understanding SG1 is a waste of time.

The above statement is cruel and a huge generalization but when I read a fic where the person uses a setup that's been used before (quantum mirror) but not all the rules (48 hours) it starts to annoy me.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

It does seem that many of them feel that way. And... well, as SGA often operates on the assumption that its viewers have seen SG-1 (see: Critical Mass), it's probably not the best way to go, if you want to be canon-compliant.

[katie-m.livejournal.com]

I mean, I can sympathize--there's a lot of canon to deal with. But it does tend to throw me out of stories.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

The thing with the SGC I chalked up to personal attachment, a kind of grumpy "hey, My Team is the good guys, dammit!"

Hee, yes, exactly.

the thing with the Ori not appearing and the Goa'uld getting several mentions I suspect may be unfamiliarity with SG-1 canon, since it wasn't signposted as an AU. I dunno. Anyway, I was willing to work with it, since it was part of the setup, but I did find it a little discomfiting.

Right. It felt a bit like the author had picked all of their SG-1 info from fannish osmosis.

I tried to work with it, but just couldn't. As my roommate will attest to, as she was the one who had to listen to me ask aloud, "If the Goa'uld are back, where's Jack (because, to me, the Goa'uld equal Jack's story in a lot of ways)? What happened to the Ori? Where does this story depart from canon?"