Obviously, I like gen (I started out SGA not into any pairing so I read a lot of gen until I got converted to McShep), so I don't believe there has to be a pairing for a good story. But, speaking for myself as a reader and writer, I LOVE the possibilities it creates. There's a lot more complications, a lot more confusion, and more hilarity that can ensue when you're suddenly dealing with relationships. Other times, I just really feel the two as a couple.

But I'm not usually one to pass on good gen fic. For example, good SPN gen where there's a lot of action and just brotherly love is great, or character pieces that don't involve any romantic thoughts are a great way to delve into the show.

I think there's so much pairing fic because it's not what we see on the show. Your average SGA episode is "gen". Sometimes, it's nice to explore other possibilities. That's what I tend to think of as reasoning for fandom. Or you could just call everyone horny.lol