December 14, 2004
Review of Geonn Cannon’s “Thirty Days” series (‘Thirty Days’ and ‘Firsts’).
This was one of the first Stargate SG-1 series that I ever read (about the same time as I read PinkRabbit’s “Bits & Pieces” series), and it remains one of my all-time favourites. I’ve gone back to read it a few times. It’s set in the first season surrounding the circumstances up to and around Cassandra coming to Earth and living with Cassandra, and the subsequent building of a more personal relationship between Sam and Janet. Both stories in this series are long – novel length (‘Thirty Days' at 417Kb, and 'Firsts’ at 367Kb) and well worth a read or two or three.
I do appreciate the ability for the author to write in first-person. I find it a more difficult point of view to write in, so I admire those who can do it successfully.
“Thirty Days” is a lesson in frustration for Janet (and this reader empathizes whole-heartedly with the petite physician on more points than I care to comment on). In “Thirty Days”, as mentioned earlier, Cassandra comes to live with Janet. And Sam makes a deal to stay with Janet for the duration of thirty days so that Cassandra gets used to living with Janet, and Janet being her primary caregiver. Except Janet gets more than she bargained for. Her once benign infatuation with Sam Carter is brought to the forefront with the occasional fantasy distracting her.
Their friendship is put to a test early on, when in a cleaning frenzy, Sam stumbles on some private notes that Janet had written about her thoughts and feelings about a particular somebody. Fortunately Janet realizes with some relief that in the brief three notes that Sam had read, Janet had not identified this individual with a name, rank – or gender. They pass that hurdle. Other hurdles that Janet encounters (through no ‘fault’ of her own) is walking in whilst Sam is ‘relieving’ herself of some stress; Sam’s blasé discussions of sex and relationships, etc. Janet even goes so far as to get a little drunk and have ‘relationship’ with someone she just met in an attempt to get Sam off her mind. It backfires horribly.
A lot of emotional upheaval occurs for both Janet and Sam – the latter of whom had begun feeling that she was not only losing Cassie as a large part of her life but Janet, too. And both women were forced to reconcile that life is not always what it seems. And sometimes relationships are worth bucking regulations for.
One difficulty I did have with the story was the quickness in which Cassie became soooo attached to Janet and Sam. There really didn’t seem to be a period of adjustment that one would figure both Sam and Janet would have with a twelve-year old alien girl – and in turn a twelve year-old alien girl whose home-world had been wiped out by the Goa’uld coming to live on a new world with complete strangers that become her family. Though I did like their attempts to keep the young girl onto popular culture without overwhelming the girl, and especially by introducing her to Harry Potter.
While there is a fair bit of sexual content in the story, I didn’t find it too jarring or out of place in the context that a lot of it is products of Janet’s imagination. And it wasn’t as explicit as some I’ve read (including some by this same author). Stay tuned for the review of “Firsts” – the sequel to “Thirty Days”.
“Firsts” starts off with Janet and Sam settling into their newfound relationship. Cassandra also starts school. I do like the building friendships/support systems within the neighbourhood that they’ve found for Cassie.
Throughout the first half of the story Janet and Sam are exploring their newfound relationship and Janet gets to wondering why Sam has never reciprocated with an “I love you.” Pretty much the best explanation I’ve ever seen (or heard) for this from Sam comes then with a beautiful speech, in a small café.
Part of what I like about this series of Geonn’s is that while it is erotic (increasingly so in some sections), it doesn’t really get explicit. Because any time I try to write anything erotic (or just to attempt to write explicitly), it just ends up sounding incredibly silly. And this just sounds way better (Yes, I know that’s not correct grammar, but so be it).
Then the fun part comes – trying to decide on how to explain to Cassandra the nature of their relationship, letting Daniel down gently, Janet confronting (via phone at first, then later in person) her good for nothing ex-husband, and havoc wrought on the SGC base with several injured. Janet must separate her personal and professional lives when Sam is injured but has to be cared for by Dr. Warner as Janet’s expertise is needed elsewhere.
A few things: I wanna see video footage of (a) Janet in her ‘Indigo Elecktra’ out fit, (b) Teal’c in clown costume. And I thought the little Sam & Janet dolls were soooo cute. I want them.
Both stories when put together are compelling and well done. I remember after reading these initially and writing Geonn to find out when he’d be writing a sequel to “Firsts” only to pout to find out he wasn’t writing anymore in that series.