SGA recs: spotlight on Major Lorne and Ronon Dex

I'm still slogging my way through SG-1 and haven't run across the episode(s?) that Major Lorne appears in yet and although we briefly see him in a handful f SGA episodes, I don't really feel like he gets enough screen time to really develop his character. He remains tangential, a star in orbit around the major players. So, I'm a huge fan of fic that fleshes this character out and makes him real for me in a way the show does not.

Day In, Day Out by ana_grrl Parrish/Lorne Adult One of the things I love most about Ana's writing is her willingness to think seriously about the neglected characters of fandom. She is interested in unusual pairings and in minor characters and this interest brings a fresh perspective to her take on most fandoms. In this fic, she not only brings to life Major Lorne, but Dr. Parrish, a character that we only see once and for a matter of minutes. She makes both characters real and vital and compelling. The progression of their relationship is very natural and organic and Lorne's reservations particularly well dealt with. Not to be missed.

Now Ronon gets a lot of screen time. And quite a bit of character development. But I think writing him is quite difficult. Moving beyond the very physical way JM acts the character (the grunts, the heavy breathing, the posturing, the total badassery of the way he wears those pants) and underneath to the man who in a former life once wore Simon Tam's silk vest is a difficult task. Sometimes I think of writing Ronon in the same way I think of writing Spike--it's very easy to focus on one aspect of Spike's characterization (either his humanity or his vampirism) and illuminate that aspect to the exclusion of the other when what we really want in fic is a complex and nuanced exploration of the character. In the same way, Ronon is a man who's been on the run for years, who can dig shrapnel out of his legs with tweezers, who eats with his hands and seems to have forgotten many of his other social skills as well. As we see in "Sateda" he's also a man with a firm grasp of politics, a man who has captured the interest of an intelligent and beautiful woman and made a life with her, a man who can be gentle and is clearly educated. The real trick in writing Ronon is portraying both sides of him at once and I truly love fic that gives a complex picture of this character.

Anomalies by sori1773 Ronon/Rodney Adult In this fic Ronon and Rodney are assigned to work on a project in isolation from the rest of the group and a relationship develops between them from that experience. The Ronon in this fic is very physical--much of the way he communicates with Rodney is through body language and gestures and there's a lot of digging of holes in this story LOL. But he's also smart, smart enough that he and Rodney can actually collaborate, which surprises Rodney and everyone else. Rodney also gets a great treatment in this fic; I particularly like the way the writer portrays him as vulnerable without woobiefying him. He has bad dreams about being stuck underwater in the jumper; he tries very hard to keep Ronon's interest in him. Even so, he's never pathetic or wasting away from lack of self esteem.

Kept By Ourselves in Silence and Apart by spike21 Ronon/Rodney Adult This is classic h/c. Ronon and Rodney are captured and brutally tortured. I completely buy this version of Ronon--the way he gives Rodney permission to be weak (nobody can withstand torture forever) and the way he takes care of Rodney to the best of his ability. What's especially lovely about the story for me is that it doesn't end when they are rescued. At least half the story is them on Atlantis putting the pieces back together. Really great read.