The Separation

Book cover of the U.S. edition of The Separation
Author	Christopher Priest
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre	Science fiction novel, Alternate history
Publisher	Scribners
Publication date	2002
Media type	Print (Hardcover)
ISBN	0-7432-0836-6
OCLC	59521604

The Separation is a 2002 novel by Christopher Priest. It is an alternate history revolving around the experiences of identical twin brothers during the Second World War, during which one becomes a pilot for the RAF, and the other, a conscientious objector, becomes an ambulance driver for the Red Cross. The author introduces a deliberate confusion by giving these brothers identical initials - J.L. Sawyer - one known as Jack (the pilot) and the other as Joe (the ambulance driver).

Multiple histories — at least two, and on some readings many more — are presented, with different roles and fates for the various characters. The novel abounds with plays on the uncertainty of identity not just between the twin brothers, but also that of Winston Churchill (who used look-alike stand-ins) and, crucially, Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy, who flew to Britain in 1941 claiming to have a peace offer from Hitler.

The novel also utilises a favourite technique of Priest's, that of the unreliable narrator.

Publication

The novel was first published in the United Kingdom in 2002, in trade paperback by Scribners (ISBN 0-7432-2033-1), followed by a hardcover by Gollancz (ISBN 0-575-07002-1) in 2003. It was not published in the United States until 2005, when it was published in hardback by Old Earth Books (ISBN 1-882968-33-6). The Separation was translated into French by Michelle Charrier; it has also appeared in a Spanish translation.

Critical reception

In an article for New Scientist about the contestants for the 2003 Arthur C. Clarke Award, Maggie McDonald praised the novel:

Christopher Priest's The Separation is strong competition. A poem by Tom Paulin about why Nazi Rudolf Hess flew to Portugal during the Second World War finds a full answer in Priest's alternative history. But the peace that breaks through is fragile. The twins--RAF pilot and conscientious objector--reach cusps of change, war triumphs, peace fails or vice versa. Priest's writing is gripping, and it's one of those rare books that reveal what writing is: manner and matter twinned and entwined.^[1]

Awards

The Separation won the 2002 BSFA Award^[2] and the 2003 Arthur C. Clarke Award.^[3] It was a finalist for the 2002 Sidewise Award for best long-form alternate history, and the 2003 John W. Campbell Memorial Award.^[3] The French translation won the 2006 Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire for best novel in translation.