Review of “The Book of Elsewhere” by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville

The coolest contemporary movie star, Keanu Reeves, expanded his creative portfolio in 2021 by venturing into comic books with a series called BRZRKR. Co-written with Matt Kindt and illustrated by Ron Garney, BRZRKR tells the story of “B,” also known as Unute—an immortal warrior resembling Reeves. B’s journey spans from prehistory to the present, engaging in a series of brutally violent encounters. Though he can be injured, B heals quickly, regenerating lost limbs, and even reemerges from a giant magic egg when completely destroyed.

BRZRKR exudes toughness, suggested by its vowel-less title, symbolizing a sense of raw power and masculinity. It’s all about grunting, shooting, stabbing, and tearing bodies apart. The comic’s straightforward, action-centric plot has a certain redundancy, filled with graphic violence that could become monotonous. Yet, having Keanu Reeves as the main character inherently adds a layer of coolness.

Now, Reeves has expanded BRZRKR’s universe into a novel, collaborating with British author China Miéville. Known for his impressive body of work in the fantastic genre, Miéville’s return to novel-writing after 12 years is much anticipated. The novel, The Book of Elsewhere, dives deeper into the comic’s material, providing a more fleshed-out backstory.

A key theme in the story is B’s yearning for mortality—not merely to die but to find meaning in a mortal existence. This theme suggests that mortality imbues life with richness and significance, and B desires that enrichment. Regardless of what he tries, his immortality remains an unsolvable predicament.

B’s enigmatic origin story begins with his mother encountering a supernatural being. Struck by a bolt of blue lightning, she becomes pregnant with Unute. As B grows, he learns the unique nature of his origin.

“So my father is not my father?” Young B asks his mother.

“Hush, silly,” she replies. “Your father is your father, he’s your dayfather and the blue lightning is your nightfather.”

B traverses prehistory, fighting wrongdoers and then continues to do so throughout history. In the present day, he’s part of a US military unit involved in various black ops missions. Dr. Diana Ahuja leads a scientific branch within this unit, studying B’s exceptional powers. Although this research has led to military and technological advancements, it hasn’t addressed B’s immortality issue.

An intriguing subplot involves a prehistoric pig that, like B, was struck by magical lightning. The pig persistently tracks B to gore him with its tusks. The narrative implies that unlocking how to kill the pig might reveal the key to B’s own mortality, prompting B to bring the creature to the institute for study.

References to Marx’s Eighteenth Brumaire add intellectual depth to the novel, reflecting Miéville’s Marxist scholarship. However, despite Miéville taking the reins on writing, The Book of Elsewhere might not stand out among his most acclaimed works. The premise’s inherent silliness and the narrative’s repetition of extreme violence weigh down the story.

Still, the novel has its moments. Diana and B discuss creating an objective scale for hatred, leading to an amusing conversation.

“What’s the most universally hated thing in the world?” she asked. “Child molesters? Hitler?”

“Not Hitler, unfortunately.” They were both silent for a while. “Mosquitoes,” he said.

“OK,” she said. “They’re small, so they make good units. So, let’s say the hate aimed at one mosquito measures one culicid. A cull! If you hate something as much as 10 mosquitoes, your hate is 10 culls. A decacull.”

Despite these clever touches, Miéville’s imaginative flair is somewhat constrained by the original concept. Enter the Miétrix, but be ready to manage expectations.

The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville is published by Del Rey.

Source: The Guardian