Keanu Reeves has now added a fictional novel to his golden collection of achievements. The Book Of Elsewhere was released last Tuesday in collaboration with the writer China Miéville, who’s known for books like The City & The City and Kraken. This was not the first time Keanu Reeves tried his hand at writing, though. He previously co-wrote a comic series, BRZRKR, that sold over two million copies. In addition to that, he wrote the text in two books, Ode To Happiness and Shadows that were both collaborative with his partner, the visual artist Alexandra Grant.
What Inspired The Book of Elsewhere
Reeves revealed that at a certain point around the time his movie John Wick: Chapter 2 was released and before the shooting of The Matrix Resurrections started, a certain character started visiting his mind often.
As time went by, this character kept getting expanded and piqued Reeves’ interest. “It became a series of what-ifs. What if they were 80.000 years old? Where did this character come from?” he said. These questions added to the depth of the character and helped Reeves see him and understand him better. He continued, “It went from this simple premise and gained in complexity and continued to grow.”
This did not directly lead to the release of the novel. It first manifested in the comic series BRZRKR, which since has been adapted for a live-action movie that Reeves is producing and starring in, and an animated spinoff on Netflix.
Despite the fact that it was set in the same universe as the comic, the novel was not considered a sequel or a prequel. It was a unique juxtaposition of science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction and mythology all wrapped in a mind-bending philosophical quest.
Keanu Reeves and China Miéville: An Unexpected Collaboration
Reeves has always been a fan of Miéville’s work, especially his short stories. So when the discussion with the publishing house about who would be the perfect fit to write the novel came up, the answer was easy for him. “They asked me what would be my dream for who would write the novel? And I was like, China Miéville.”
The two met for the first time in Berlin. Miéville was delighted by Reeves’ eagerness to create a true literary piece without completely being tied up to the comics. This made Reeves excited too as the direction Miéville was taking aligned perfectly with what he had in mind initially. Reeves would outline the character, his traits, and the key plot points, and Miéville would take the reins from there and cast his magic.
What Is The Novel About?
The book followed an 80.000-year-old immortal warrior named Unute, and sometimes simply B. He has been introduced in the comic series before, but in the novel, the reader is getting to learn more about this enigmatic character. “A character who could punch through chests and rip arms off.” as Reeves described him. But this ultra-violence nature is not all there was to Unute. He was also going through an existential crisis. This was because of his immortality, as it alienated him from everyone across the ages, and he struggled to find meaning in the choices he made.
Conclusion
The novel is already gaining praise from literary sci-fi icons such as William Gibson, who is also one of Reeves’ literary idols. Gibson described it as “Exceptionally innovative.” Reeves also shared that the creative process made him understand himself more. “Maybe I have father issues and mother issues. And maybe I think about death”, he said.
It also allowed him to question things he does not quite comprehend about the world, such as humanity, love and death. “How did we get here, who are we?…Why is death so strong and love so frail, and yet it’s the strongest force on the planet?”, he added.
Reeves does not know yet how the novel version of Unut will affect the storyline of the comics, but he knows it will be a surprise. We know that it will be one as well, one that we are all looking forward to!
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