Keanu Reeves will release his first novel this year in collaboration with British ‘weird fiction’ author China Miéville.
The Book of Elsewhere, out July 23, tells the story of an immortal warrior who spends millennia trying to understand his own immortality.
It is set in the world of the actor’s comic book series BRZRKR, which was first published in 2021 with writer Matt Kindt and artist Ron Garney.
“China did exactly what I hoped for – he came up with a clear architecture for the story and how he wanted to play with the world of BRZRKR, a world I love so much,” Keanu said. The guard.
The British author’s writing style has been described as ‘new weird fiction’, with his novels spanning several genres ranging from American western to detective noir.
Keanu Reeves (pictured in April 2023) will release his first novel this year, based on the world of his comic book series BRZRKR
Keanu’s novel was written in collaboration with British ‘weird fiction’ writer China Miéville – whose works include The City and the City, Railsea and The Census Taker.
China’s “weird fiction” style fits in well with the actor’s comic books – which center on Berzerker, an immortal hybrid of God and man who has a strong tendency towards violence, which affects his mental health.
The character eventually ends up employed by the American government to find out the truth about his life. BRZRKR will be made into a live-action series on Netflix.
Speaking about China’s work on the novel, the 59-year-old The Matrix actor said: “I was thrilled with his vision and feel honored to be part of this collaborative process.”
“Sometimes the best games you play are with other people’s toys,” China said of writing a story based on the comic books.
He went on to say that it was ‘an honour, a shock and a delight’ to be approached by Keanu to write the novel.
“But I could never have predicted how generous he would be with the toys he worked on for so long,” China added.
Some of China’s works include The City and the City, Railsea and The Census Taker.
Publishing director Ben Brusey, of Penguin’s Del Rey, described Keanu and China as a “dream writing partnership.”
The A-list actor told the outlet that people can “identify with the idea of the imagination of” immortality, which fuels the comic’s storyline
He added that both are “master storytellers who have excited, surprised and conquered audiences around the world.”
Keanu has previously described his comic series BRZRKR as “an investigation into” violence, exploring how violence is used and controlled.
“We look at violence in the impulse of violence and how it’s used, and how it’s tried to be controlled,” Reeves said. People in 2021. “And we’re trying to understand the character that we might not be able to relate to because we’re immortal, but we relate to the idea of wanting to be immortal.”
The A-list actor told the outlet that people can “identify with the idea of the imagination of” immortality, which fuels BRZRKR’s storyline.
“We have vampiric stories that talk about that,” he said. “But that’s part of the human condition, whether it’s the living conditions of our mortality or the human wish fulfillment that we have no mortality.
‘In the context of violence, which is everywhere, it is survival, conquering, eating. So it’s all over the place, and we’re trying to look at it from different angles… It’s an exploration of it.”
Keanu’s 12-issue limited comic series is co-written by Matt Kindt and also features artist Ron Garney
Keanu captured the hearts of the internet again last year when an adorable video surfaced of the actor meeting a nine-year-old superfan at a comic book store
Kindt said he, Reeves and Kindt have been working on the project for “at least two years,” much of it remotely during the coronavirus pandemic.
Keanu captured the hearts of the internet again last year when an adorable video surfaced of the actor meeting a nine-year-old superfan at a comic book store.
YouTuber Noah of Noah’s Amazing Reviews got the chance to meet his favorite actor at a BRZRKR book signing in March 2023 at Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles.
The youngster was over the moon when he met the actor, who delighted him with a short impression of his character from Toy Story 4.