Keanu Reeves Reveals New Book With China Miéville, 'The Book of Elsewhere'

When China Miéville’s agent informed him that Keanu Reeves wanted to collaborate on their new novel, ‘The Book of Elsewhere’, Miéville found it hard to believe it wasn’t a prank. “I sort of laughed,” says Miéville, 51, an acclaimed author of fantasy and science fiction. “It seemed so outlandish that it had to be real.”

Indeed, it was real. Reeves, 59, revealed that he fell in love with Miéville’s writing after reading his short story collection ‘Three Moments of an Explosion’. “I kept reading, amazed and moved by each story,” says Reeves. “To find such a talent and have the chance to work with them was a dream come true.”

Also Read: Keanu Reeves and Girlfriend Alexandra Grant Make Rare Appearance at MotoGP

Together, they created ‘The Book of Elsewhere’, a genre-blending novel about a warrior seeking to give up his immortality. The book draws from a character in ‘BRZRKR’, a comic series co-created by Reeves, which is being adapted into a Netflix anime. Both Reeves and Miéville, who admire each other’s work, took the writing process very seriously.

Miéville explains that he was particularly meticulous, treating the adaptation like “playing with someone else’s toys”—respecting the original while bringing something new. Reeves adds that collaborating with Miéville was “more than I could have hoped for,” noting that the novel’s blend of humour, emotion, and diverse characters constantly surprised him.

Miéville is a renowned author of over 30 books in “weird fiction,” including bestsellers like ‘Perdido Street Station’ and ‘The City and the City’. Reeves, known for his versatility, gained fame with films like ‘Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure’ and ‘The Matrix’. Both are involved with notable creatives: Reeves with visual artist Alexandra Grant, and Miéville with artist-writer Season Butler.

‘The Book of Elsewhere’ is more of a psychological exploration than a straightforward action tale, though it features its share of excitement. The authors encourage readers who might be hesitant about sci-fi or fantasy to give it a chance. “It’s a contemporary novel that uses fantasy to explore how we understand the world through metaphor,” says Reeves. “It addresses themes of love, life, grief, and identity, whether fantastical or not.”

–Farheen Ali