Sangria in the Sangraal: Tucked Away in Aragon

by Rhys Hughes

An entire story-cycle in miniature. One thousand years of the remarkable magical history of a secret region of Spain where few people venture even now. Albarracín is a rose-red town tucked away in the mountains of Lower Aragon. Once the seat of an independent taifa during the dominance of the Caliphate of Cordoba, it remained saturated with ancient mystery long after the separated kingdoms of the peninsular were forged through conquest into the single nation we know today. In Albarracín still lurk the djinn of the wondrous past in their dusty bottles and the ghosts of heroes and villains locked in the crucibles of a rogue alchemist. As Alarcon once wrote, “A happy time it was when our land still remained in peaceful possession of all the spider's webs, dust, woodworm, respect, faith, traditions, uses and abuses sanctified by the centuries!” Above the roofs of the crumbling town serenely float the clouds; but these are not mindless puffs of vapour. On the contrary, they control the destinies of those who dwell below. In a modern world where the East is trying too hard to become the West, only Albarracín has successfully reversed the trend; for in this place the West always was the East; and the true flavour of Oriental magic remains bright on the tips of the swords, in the pulse of the hearts and on the rims of the cups of the men and gods who enter therein. This new edition contains two stories not included in the original - Señor Chimera’s Hysterical History and The Bone Throwers.

128 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

A writer of Speculative Fiction who uses fantasy and comedy to explore unusual concepts. Known for his original ideas, intricate plots, love of paradox, and entertaining wordplay.

Reviews

[Karl]

This hardcover book is copy 29 of 102 copies printed and is signed by Rhys Hughes.

[Vicente Ribes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una muy agradable sorpresa este libro de Rhys Hughes. Hughes es una utor inglés que usa una mezcla de fantasía y humor en sus cuentos y en este libro en particular se dedica a inventar historias en un curioso pueblo de España, Albarracín. El autor vivió un tiempo en España y quedo prendado de este misterioso y medieval pueblo hasta el punto de dedicarle este libro donde inventa historias del pasado, futuro y presente de Albarracín.
La verdad es que es una pena que ninguna editorial haya editado este libro porque me parece una idea genial y los relatos me han gustado todos. A destacar:

El Ermitaño De Repuesto(****): Una historia sobre un viajero sin dinero, Murk, que se encuentra en una situación extraña cuando sigue el consejo que le dio un anciano y entra en un bucle temporal del que no puede salir.

La magia se fue(***): En esta historia, un viajero del tiempo llamado Harold Clatter, que se prepara para su doctorado, llega a Albarracín y conoce a Lord Pedro y su juglar. Estos tendrán que decidir si el viajero es amigo o enemigo mientras se asombran ante los inventos que este les muestra.

Latitud, longitud y plenitud(*****): En esta historia, Carlos Delgado ha encontrado un viejo mensaje en una turbia botella de vidrio verde y lo envía al obispo de Albarracín. El mensaje contiene información sobre lo que le pasó a Gabriel Caballero. Este se vio varado en una isla cuya única compañia eran indígenas que le ignoraban así que decidió construir una ciudad de la nada. Muy interesante.

La generosidad de la teofrasto Tautología(****): Una historia humorística sobre dos inquisidores que irrumpen en la casa de la Tautología de Teofrasto y lo acusan de usar hechicería. Este les toma el pelo todo lo que quiere y más haciendo tiempo hasta que las tropas de Napoleón lleguen a España y la inquisición no tenga ya poder. Muy divertido.

Los pucheros de Scaramouche(*****): Una historia sobre un payaso, Scaramouche, que ha sobrevivido a la la Guerra civil española y deserta harto de franquistas y republicanos. Scaramouche viaja hacia Albarracín con un plan astuto en su mente pero las cosas no le saldrán tan bien como pensaba. Muy buena historia.

Knossos en su gloria(****): Una historia sobre Mogul Xenon , un millonario que quiere usar escenarios reales para su nueva película en lugar de imágenes sintéticas, porque en el año 2049AD el mundo es un lugar diferente y las ciudades son todo conglomerados iguales de piedra, plástico y metal. La única ciudad que queda original es Albarracín y Xenon la comprará para rodar películas ambientadas en el pasado en ella.

Historia Histérica Del Señor Quimera(****): El Señor Quimera es un monstruo que acaba confinado en el centro de un laberinto ya que su dieta a base de carne humana lo hace peligroso para la sociedad. El laberinto suele ser visitado por estudiantes con angustia vital que no saben como seguir en su vida o quieren finalizarla y Quimera se los come gustosamente hasta que una extraña mujer llega para proponerle un plan.

[Benjamin Uminsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fantastic little collection was a real revelation for me. While I do have some of Rhys Hughes' other collection, they have been all sitting in my TBR cue for far too long. I don't know why it has taken me so long to read this author... I'm glad that I have though. I have a little thing for hidden little kingdoms in Spain... lo and behold... Hughes introduces us to a fictional little place in Spain called Albarracin.

Hughes' prose style is intensely witty and the word play just tickled my brain, story to story, sentence by sentence. All of the stories are linked together by this magical city. The characters that we meet are quirky and these short stories provide us with a vehicle for both levity (Sally Forth), magical absurdity (The Spare Hermit), and political introspection (Knossos in its Glory).

Not a single one disappointed. As a point of reference, I would probably characterize this collection of short stories (10 in total) as falling solidly in the realms of magical realism with a lovely pattern of absurdity sprinkled throughout. I loved how Hughes started off this collection with a brief tale of clouds conversing amongst themselves about the affairs they are observing on the ground from so high up.

I cannot stress enough how good these stories are and how entertained you will find yourself with Hughes lyrical wit.

Please do treat yourself to this collection. It is likely still available from the publisher, Ex Occidente Press, in a beautiful hardback in a unique landscape format.

[Seregil of Rhiminee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published at Risingshadow.

Rhys Hughes' Sangria in the Sangraal or Tucked Away in Aragon (The Albarracín Tales) is a fascinating and rewarding short story collection of interlinking stories set in Albarracín, which is a secret region of Spain. This new Eibonvale Press edition contains two stories ("Señor Chimera's Hysterical History" and "The Bone Throwers") that were not included in the original collection. I'm delighted to say that this collection is among the best collections I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

Sangria in the Sangraal is one of the author's most memorable short story collections, because it's a beutifully written, imaginative and original collection of amazing stories. It has everything that readers have come to expect from the author: good prose, imagination, humour, originality, freshness, sharpness and surprises. It will impress everybody who loves good fiction.

Rhys Hughes is one of the few authors who have never failed to impress me. His fiction is remarkably original and unique, because he has his own literary voice that is easily recognisable. He effortlessly combines literary fiction and speculative fiction to create mesmerising and witty fiction that leaves readers wanting more. This short story collection can be seen as a proof of his extraordinary writing skills, because it's something special and highly enjoyable.

I think it's good to mention that if you're a newcomer to Rhys Hughes' fiction, Sangria in the Sangraal serves as excellent entry point to his short fiction. If you're already familiar with the author's impressive body of works, this collection with its new stories will be a rewarding reading experience to you.

This short story collection contains the following stories:

- The Shapes Down There
- The Spare Hermit
- Sally Forth
- The Magic Gone
- Oranges and the Arrows
- The Man Toucan
- Latitude, Longitude and Plenitude
- The Kind Generosity of Theophrastus Tautology
- Scaramouche's Pouting Mouth
- Knossos in Its Glory
- Señor Chimera's Hysterical History
- The Bone Throwers

I found all of these stories excellent and captivating, because each of them has been written well and reveals readers something new about the mysterious region of Albarracín. They can be seen as a kind of a strange and unique fictional and historical guidebook to Albarracín. They invite readers to explore Albarracín, its inhabitants and its wonders, and they reward readers with fantastical scenes that are not easily forgotten, because they will linger on the readers' minds.

Each of these stories is an important part of the whole, because they're interlinking stories, but they work well as standalone stories. Together, they form an entertaining and deeply satisfying collection that shimmers with delightful originality.

I have to mention that I was surprised by how amusing, entertaining and inventive these stories are. Although I've read many stories by the author and know what to expect from him, I found myself being surprised by what I read, because the stories were skillfully written and contained many surprises.

Here's more information about the stories and my thoughts about them:

The Shapes Down There:

- In this opening story, two clouds - older Altocumulus lenticularis and younger Cumulus humilis - have a conversation about the shapes they see below them.
- It was intriguing to read about the clouds and their thoughts. I also enjoyed reading about what the emir of Albarracín thought of the clouds that had suddenly appeared on the sky, because he was a bit worried about the weather.
- This is a delightfully entertaining and strange story.

The Spare Hermit:

- A story about a penniless traveller, Murk, who finds himself in an odd situation when he follows the advice given to him by an old man.
- In this story, the author mentions interesting things about Tarot cards.
- This is a brilliantly written story that will stick to the readers' minds, because the story is something different.

Sally Forth:

- In this story, a woman finds herself being the target of a rescue operation against her will, because the rescuer believes her to be a damsel in need of rescuing.
- I love this story, because it's wonderfully whimsical and offers a new perspective into the "damsel in distress" situation.
- This story has an intriguingly fairy-tale like feel to it.

The Magic Gone:

- In this story, a time traveller called Harold Clatter, who is preparing for his doctorate, arrives in Albarracín and meets Lord Pedro and his minstrel.
- This is one of the most memorable stories in this collection, because it's satisfyingly strange and humorous.
- An excellent and well written story with a good and memorable ending.

Oranges and the Arrows:

- A story about why there are no orange trees in Albarracín.
- I'm not going reveal what the reason for Albarracín not having any orange trees is, but I can reveal that the events leading to their disappearance are very intriguing and involve a stork, an arrow and a cup.
- A fascinating and well written story.

The Man Toucan:

- In this story, God peers over the edge of Heaven and becomes intrigued about Albarracín, because he doesn't seem to remember it and can't recall its name.
- The scene in which God meets a genie is simply brilliant, because its consequences are thrilling.
- I like this story a lot, because it's fresh and brilliantly imaginative.

Latitude, Longitude and Plenitude:

- In this story, Carlos Delgado has found an old message in a murky green glass bottle and sends it to the Bishop of Albarracín. The message contains information about what happened to Gabriel Caballero.
- Ah, what a great story! I enjoyed reading the tale of Gabriel Caballero, because it was an account of happenings following a shipwreck.
- There's something about this story that is delightfully reminiscent of classic adventure tales and old stories about shipwrecks.

The Kind Generosity of Theophrastus Tautology:

- A story about two inquisitors who break into the house of Theophrastus Tautology and accuse him of using sorcery.
- It was fascinating to read about what the inquisitors thought of the loss of respect towards their profession and how they reacted when Senor Tautology invited them into his house to witness how he uses sorcery.
- A brilliant and wonderfully written story.

Scaramouche's Pouting Mouth:

- A story about a clown, Scaramouche, who has survived the battle. Scaramouche travels towards Albarracín with a cunning plan on his mind.
- This story has an excellent and memorable ending, because the author writes well about what happens to Scaramouche and his plan.
- I find this story refreshingly original.

Knossos in Its Glory:

- A story about Mogul Xenon who wants to use real sets for his new film instead of synthehic images, because in the year 2049AD the world is a different place and the characters of every urban skyline has altered radically since the development of special plastic that absorbs excess carbon dioxide and other gases.
- This story reveals intriguing and unexpected information about Albarracín.
- A well written story with an excellent ending.

Señor Chimera's Hysterical History:

- Señor Chimera is a monster who lives at the centre of the labyrinth and learns of what happens in the outer world from visitors. He eats his visitors to satisfy his hunger.
- I was fascinated by what Senor Chimera is and what happened to him.
- This new story is a wonferful addition to the collection.

The Bone Throwers:

- The events in this story take place in the year 20,307 BC. Og and his tribe have feasted upon the divine flesh of a god. Now the dead god has become a bizarre skeleton.
- The conversation and fight between Og and Ug is simply brilliant and offers plenty of amusement to readers.
- A memorable and skillfully written new story that fits this collection perfectly.

These stories defy easy classification, but it's possible to classify them as literary speculative fiction. Their contents range all the way from fantasy and magical realism to historical fiction and literary fiction, and some of them have metaphysical elements. I find this kind of diversity charming, because it's entertaining and satisfying to read stories that are not your normal kind of fiction, but something more.

One of the reasons why I find these stories captivating is that they have a pleasing amount of underlying sharpness and charming twistedness. The author has a delightfully inventive sense of humour and he knows how to entertain his readers with humorous elements that are spiced up with freshness and sharpness.

If you enjoy reading quirky stories and love beautifully written stories, Rhys Hughes' Sangria in the Sangraal should be on your reading list. It's such a splendid collection that you simply can't afford to miss it. I consider it to be essential reading material to readers who love literary speculative fiction, because it's a brightly shining literary gem.

Highly recommended!

[Des Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I shall go out on a limb: I have read much Rhys Hughes fiction since the early 1990s and, despite most of it, if not all, being brilliant stuff, I genuinely believe this ‘Sangria’ book to be the best organically thought-provoking and mind-expanding whole. Fabulous with brazen wit and sparkle: also implicitly gentle and meditative and self-traducing. Making clouds shine even if the world’s sun has gone.

The detailed review of this book posted elsewhere under my name is too long or impractical to post here.
Above is one of its observations at the time of the review.

[Caleb Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sparkling little collection -- red on gold -- the red comes from sangria (of course), and live embers, a small splash of blood and maybe even some dynamite. Clouds and storks fill the sky, which I think must be impossibly blue. Time rushes faster in Albarracin every year, even though it started just outside town as a tiny trickle, but fortunately, for the confused and for the nostalgic, there are always threads that tie together the centuries.

(I read the e-book version of this, titled "Tucked Away in Aragon.")