by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville
Del Rey, 2024
This review was first published by Booklist on June 1, 2024.
A warrior who can’t be killed and who doesn’t understand why. A government agency studying him. Ancient powers who worship him and seek to destroy him. And an immortal deer-pig. A novel cowritten by beloved sf movie star Reeves and beloved sf author Miéville (The Last Days of New Paris, 2016) doesn’t disappoint, but it may not be quite what anyone expects. Set in the same universe as Reeves’ BRZRKR graphic novel series, the nature of the narrative is revealed somewhat slowly, and the writing style is oddly anachronistic and very erudite. It’s stylistically daring, combining sf, fantasy, parascience, history, and action. It’s violent, propulsive, and introspective, ultimately offering a philosophical exploration of identity and the meaning of mortality, chaos, and entropy. The Book of Elsewhere gets under your skin and into your mind and revels in a pervasive sense of mystery. Or it could just be a weird riff on some of the most popular Reeves internet memes. Whatever it is, it works.
HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Reeves and Miéville each have their own legions of fans, and their collaboration is bound to draw both groups in.
John the Librarian 