Title: Magnificent Desolation
Author's LJ/DWJ: abyssinia / grav_ity
Categories: other media, Sam, Jack, Jack and Sam friendship, pre-series, character study
Warnings: none
Author's Webpage/Fic list: : Masterlist of Fanfiction / Gravity Not Included
Link to story: Magnificent Desolation

Why this should be read heard: Abyssis lovingly, eloquently traces the history of space travel on Earth, and how it has intertwined with Sam and Jack's lives. She deftly weaves past events with show canon, showing us the unique bond that they share, with their love of flight and the stars that shine above them. And Grav_ity takes this gorgeous character piece and reads it with all the quiet and powerful intensity that it fully deserves.

One of my all-time favorite Stargate fics, podficced brilliantly. This is just under half an hour of SG-1 at its best.

Title: Corner of Your Eye
Author's LJ/DWJ: maychori
Categories: action/adventure, character: jack o'neill, crossover: supernatural, era: season 9-10, theme: joy of jack
Warnings: none
Author's Webpage/Fic list: fic masterpost on LJ
Link to story: Corner of Your Eye

Why this should be read: Retired!Jack searching the woods alone for a cloaked murderer with a zat. Fatherfigure!Jack accidentally burning his waffle while looking for syrup for Dean's waffle. Fidgety!Jack playing with his yo-yo in a library. Not to mention badass!Jack taking ghosts and the like pretty much in stride.

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Title: Untitled Jack Birthday Ficlets
Author's LJ/DWJ/AO3: niamaea
Categories: character: Daniel Jackson, character: Jack O'Neill, character: Samantha Carter, character: Teal'c, era: Season 9-10, team, theme: Jack friendship, theme: joy of Jack
Warnings: None
Author's Webpage/Fic list: Fic tag
Link to story: Part 1 and Part 2
Why this should be read: Two charming ficlets, written at different times in response to different memes, that together form one delightful friendship fic in which Jack's old teammates make his Season 9 birthday one to remember ... and then outdo themselves. Warm and humorous and wonderfully in-character.

About 1200 words total.

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Title: Half-life
Author's LJ/DWJ: tallulah_rasa | tallulah_rasa
Categories: Character study, character: Daniel Jackson, character: Jack O'Neill, era: futurefic, friendship: Jack and Daniel, humor, theme: Joy of Jack
Warnings: None
Author's Webpage/Fic list: Tallulah Abridged
Link to story: Half-life
Why this should be read: In this peaceful, gently bantery post-series piece from Jack's point of view, Jack and Daniel are hanging out after a barbecue, Daniel translating the insults hurled by the kids tearing around the yard, Jack translating Daniel. (We don't know whose kids they are, just that they're there, the next generation, still full of energy as evening comes on, literally and, maybe, metaphorically.) A smile-inducing 1320-word meditation, rich with keen observations and character insights in a beautifully portrayed Jack headspace.

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Title: Roses in December
Author's LJ/DWJ: rheanna27
Categories: theme: joy of jack, character study, drama, team, Jack and Daniel friendship
Warnings: none
Author's Webpage/Fic list: Palimpest
Link to story: Roses in December

Why this should be read: This is one of my favorite Jack fics. It's early season still, but even if SG-1 may not know each other all that well as yet, they are solidly, wonderfully team.

Jack is in danger of losing everything that makes him uniquely himself, and the team risks everything to get him back. World-building, friendship, teamwork, superb characterization, and every kind of courage - it's all here, and all fabulous.

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Title: Speaking in Acronyms
Author's LJ/DWJ: randomfreshink
Categories: theme: joy of jack, character study, drama
Warnings: dark!Jack, major plot point of S9
Author's Webpage/Fic list: Random at Danielfic
Link to story: Speaking in Acronyms

Why this should be read: This fic was written for dark_gate, and I found it astonishingly creepy that the Jack of this story fits seamlessly into the Jack of SG-1. The "going dark" for Jack is part of his nature, consciously chosen, and scarily plausible without making any changes to his character at all.

While the story takes place in S10, it's only a single throwaway sentence that sets the fic right before 200. The main point is one of the major plot devices of S9, and what a coldly-determined Jack plans to do about it – and when Jack O'Neill seriously sets his sights on a goal, you can be sure that it's going to happen. This is Black Ops Jack brought to life, only the orders are coming from nowhere but his own head. With a fan-favorite villain, and a surprise cameo from an old/young friend, this is a story that's alarmingly easy to picture taking place right alongside the regular episodes of SG-1... even if no one knows it.

[Disclaimer: I had the privilege of beta-reading this. It's still creepily good.]

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Title: The First Annual Interstellar Naquadah Open
Author's LJ/DWJ: butterflykiki
Categories:
Warnings: none
Author's Webpage/Fic list: God, I wish she had a complete list with everything somewhere. I'd settle for just using the same name everywhere. Main places I've found are: FF.net (where she is Christina K), Stargatefan (where she is C.L. Kamnikar), her LJ (she has tags for fanfic and fic, not sure what the difference is), her defunct website can be found on the internet archive, and she seems to have a current website that requires a username and password to logon (chaos.horsechicks.com). She also has a Roswell fic and some Buffy fics which you have to scroll through other authors to find (and OMG the popups on that site). Or you can google her yourself; known names include Christina Kamnikar, Christina K, Chaos, the butterfly, Kiki, and Chris.
Link to story: The First Annual Interstellar Naquadah Open
Why this should be read:

There are not words to describe how hysterically funny this fic is. Jack and Teal'c go golfing through the Stargate to let off steam during Window of Opportunity. This fic is funny and totally in character, and fits perfectly within that episode. You must read this, there are not words for how perfect it is.

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Title:The Friday Night Colonel's Club
Author's LJ/DWJ: ziparumpazoo
Warnings: none
Author's Webpage/Fic list: Archive Of Our Own--upload still in progress
Link to story: The Friday Night Colonel's Club
Why this should be read:

Because Jack is spot-on. Because it's nice to see the other people at the SGC, people who aren't SG-1, but are there and doing their jobs day in and day out. Because watching Jack relax with his peers is fun and interesting. This is not a flashy story, it's a quiet fic that fills in background details in such a way that makes it seem flawlessly blended into the show.

Title: Five Things Jack O'Neill Left Behind
Author's LJ/DWJ: reccea
Categories: angst, character study, character: jack o'neill, era: multiple seasons, era: seasons 9-10, team, theme: joy of Jack,
Warnings: sexual themes, references to both het and slash (though none in the story)
Author's Webpage/Fic list: none known
Link to story: Five Things Jack O'Neill Left Behind
Why this should be read: Because it's a look at Jack through Jack's own eyes, marvelously in character, heart-breaking at times and yet always truly spot-on. This is a Jack who is realistic (and somewhat pessimistic) about life in general, and yet realizes just how special his team is and all the possibility there.

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Our new theme is the Joy of Jack! It can be Jack in black ops mode or as competent leader, pre-series or Jack in Washington, deceptively brilliant or shamelessly silly - if it's about Jack and gen, we want to see it recced.

Stories that include canon pairings are fine as long as the ship is only peripheral and not the focus of the story. Please remember that Jack/Sam is not included on the comm's list of canon pairings. :)

Other recs that do not fit the theme may still be posted, of course, but these next few weeks should put the spotlight on fics that feature Jack O'Neill. If you post a rec that fits this theme, please use the theme: joy of jack tag (either by tagging the rec yourself or including it in the categories, so the admin can tag it for you.)

Feel free to read the FAQ before posting. Official format is included in the FAQ entry and on the comm's profile page. And, as always, I will happily answer any questions you might have, and welcome any suggestions for future themes.