In an exciting literary collaboration, actor Keanu Reeves and acclaimed author China Miéville have teamed up to write a new novel titled The Book of Elsewhere. In a recent interview with PEOPLE magazine, the 59-year-old Reeves, joined by Miéville via Zoom, shared how their partnership came to be.
Miéville, an award-winning fantasy and science fiction author, initially thought it was a prank when his agent informed him that Reeves wanted to work with him. “I think I kind of giggled,” Miéville admitted. “Why would someone think of that? That’s just so patently false. It had to be true.”
Reeves, however, was a genuine fan of Miéville’s work, having been captivated by his short story collection Three Moments of an Explosion. “I read it and read it and read it, and after each story, I was amazed and astounded and entertained and moved,” Reeves recalled. “To come across a talent like that, one can only hope or dream to work with them.”
The Book of Elsewhere tells the story of a warrior seeking to shed his immortality, inspired by a character from the comic book BRZRKR, which Reeves co-created and is currently being developed into a Netflix anime series.
Reflecting on the collaboration, Reeves described it as a special experience. “To write a novel that’s funny, that makes you want to cry, that is relatable with the different characters talking about different kinds of love—I was constantly surprised in the best way,” he said. “It’s just a really special experience to work with China.”
