The Book of Elsewhere is the first new work of fiction by China Miéville since 2016. (In the interim, he published nonfiction books on the Communist Manifesto and on the Russian Revolution). The book is a coilaboration between Miéville and the actor Keanu Reeves. The main character, known as Unute or B, and the basic contours of his world, were originally developed by Reeves for a comic book, or graphic novel, called BRZRKR; its various installments have been co-written by Reeves and a number of comic book authors. The novel massively expands the franchise; and a feature film and an anime series are in development.

Unute is a warrior, born 80,000 years ago, and apparently immortal. He has superhuman strength, and the power to go into a berserker fugue state where he pretty much kills everyone around him. His body recovers quickly from injuries that would be mortal to anyone else; and when he is injured badly enough to actually die, he soon regenerates, breaking out of an egg in full adult form. He is also blessed, or cursed, with the complete memory of all his experiences over thousands of years; though he is not conscious during, and therefore does not later remember, the short periods during which he regenerates in the egg.

All this is recounted, in outline, in the original graphic novel. (There are three volumes of BRZRKR written by Reeves in collaboration with Matt Kindt, which together form one continuous narrative; two additional stories, written by Reeves with Steve Skroce and Mattson Tomlin respectively, provide additional incidents in Unute’s career. In all these cases, I am only listing the writers; a number of visual artists collaborate as well).

The Book of Elsewhere, with its considerable length, allows for a great expansion of things that were only sketched briefly in the graphic novels. We mostly see Unute in the present moment. He is working, uneasily, as part of a special unit of the American (apparently) secret intelligence forces. They send him (together with a crack team of soldiers) to various hot spots around the world, in order to commit assassinations or wipe out groups of (supposed) “terrorists.” Unute doesn’t seem to have any particular committment to American hegemony, and the military and intelligence authorities cannot really order him to do anything that he doesn’t want to do. But he goes along with their requests in return for having them study him so he can learn more about himself. In particular, Unute is tired of being immortal; he doesn’t want to die, but he wants to be able to die.

The writing is vivid and intense, as we would expect from Miéville. There is a lot of action, both in the present and in a number of flashbacks to Unute’s past, and to stories of individuals whom he encountered briefly over the course of the ages he has been around. There is no scientific agreement about just when Homo sapiens developed a full language, and all of the capabilities we have today; but 80,000 years ago is a reasonable figure. Anatomically modern Homo sapiens has existed for something like 150,000 years, but evidence of cultural achievement is more recent. On the other hand, our ancestors interbred with closely related species (the Neanderthals and the Denisovians) between 50,000 and 20,000 years ago. So we can assume that Unute’s lifespan pretty much coincides with the history of human “species being” (to use Marx’s term).

There are a lot of (pleasurable) digressions and side developments, but the novel is fundamentally concerned with the (philosophical) meaning and nature of Unute, or of the very fact that he exists. He is continually looking for any others who are like him, or who are similarly immortal because they exist in some sort of binary/dialectical opposition to him, but this quest is frequently disappointed. In particular, his murderous abilities do not exist in the abstract, apart from any historical contexts and situations; though they are continually being enacted within such contexts and situations, of which working for American power is only the most recent. Whatever Unute may be, he is emphatically not an ahistorical principle of evil or tyranny or fascism.

Unute does, however, turn out to have doubles and/or enemies in certain metaphysical contexts. His nemesis for much of the novel is a large pig, specifically a Babirusa, which seems to have the same powers as he does: it cannot die, or at least it regenerates whenever it is killed. This Babirusa has hunted, and sought to kill, Unute for most of his 80,000 years of existence. In addition, if Unute is a force of Death, as he often considers himself to be, then he is unavoidably in opposition to a force of Life, which itself may be eternally present, or at least eternally reincarnated, in the same way that he is. Unute does have an enemy of this sort. But the enmity of this opponent, and the enmity of the pig as well, change over the course of the novel; and seem in the last analysis only to constitute false oppositions. In a more fully dialectical sense, both Unute and his uncanny doubles seem to be agents of Change, and in this respect they are more similar than they are different, and they are alike opposed to the entropic decline of a universe fated to end in a heat death (as the Victorians mostly believed, and as some physicists today still maintain). I fear I am saying too much, and perhaps giving away spoilers, even to go this far. The theme is worked out in much more careful detail over the course of the novel, and especially in its final sections. I will just say, first, that in the course of his career, although Keanu Reeves has occasionally played bad guys, he doesn’t usually do this; he seems to prefer that, if he is not in a heroic role, then he is at least in an ambiguous one that they audience can identify with in spite of various unpleasant aspects (e.g. John Wick). And in the second place, I will note that China Miéville has played with similar ideas in earlier novels, going all the way back to Isaac’s crisis engine in Perdido Street Station, which is able to mobilize the potentiality for change in any given situation.

I will stop here. In any case, The Book of Elsewhere is a rich book, worthy of both its creators.

4.5 stars. This book is so complicated but a wild ride. I see the word “cerebral” thrown around and I have to agree - I had to look up A LOT of words to follow along. But it’s also beautiful and creative.

Part sci-fi, part fantasy, part military/Jack Ryan/Tom Clancy, part mystery. Unute was a fascinating character to follow and I enjoyed the alternating chapters where we got to experience some of his many lives.

It was tough to read but absolutely worth it. Would recommend to anyone looking for their next weird read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Keanu Reeves & China Miéville, and Del Rey for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 ⭐️

This is a military, sci-fi, thriller that is unusual in its presentation and graphically very violent. It centers around the story of,"B", who is a warrior who cannot die. A dead soldier comes back to life and an unraveling of mysteries starts to take place from that. I understand the book also takes place in the same world as the BRZRKR comic books (also created by Reeves).

It's an interesting book that has a solid plot and enough mysteries to be revealed that kept me wanting to read more. It does feel disjointed, and while it is non-linear, it just didn't flow well enough for me. The prose also came off kind of pretentious at times, but it wasn't a deal breaker for me. It's the kind of book that I think would be interesting to re-read, but I didn't like it enough to actually want to do that lol.

If you're into weird, military sci-fi books, then it might be one to check out. Just know that it's not an easy read, especially initially starting it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Keanu Reeves, China Mieville, and Random House Publishing Group for my early access to this.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book and think you will to.

Thank you Keanu Reeves, China Miéville and NetGalley for an ARC copy of The Book of Elsewhere.

Unfortunately this was a DNF at 33% for me. I really struggled with the writing style and had difficulties following who the current narrator was at any given time, especially since narrators often weren't broken up by chapters, but by paragraphs with no notice of the switch. I love the concept, and found Unute to be fascinating. That being said, I also found difficulties understanding Unute's abilities/background until I did research into the BRZRKR comic book series (which is sick btw! Love it). But, since this is only labeled as a stand alone novel I think it would be nearly impossible to understand on its own. While I don't foresee myself coming back to finish this book, I will definitely be exploring the comic books!

Not everyone can write a sci fi novel that holds the readers attention on every page but these authors have. This is an amazing story with great depth. The plot is engaging and interesting. The main character is a guy who cannot die and most of the story is told from his point of view. The description of the characters brings them vividly to life in the mind of the reader. The dialogue is sharp and witty. Readers will love the way the story is divided into different scenes that give background and other elements for the plot. Great job!

The Book of Elsewhere begins in a military barracks, but this isn't really a military book. Instead, it is a book about a god who is grappling with metaphysical questions while dodging a rival god. I did enjoy the book, but the choices that the authors made in narrative structure made it more difficult to follow. The overarching plot, though, was intriguing. I liked some of the characters, but many of them were unlikable and/or underdeveloped. I would read more by Reeves and Miéville, though.

I tried, I really did (I'll admit mostly because of Keanu Reeves), but I had to call a quits after slugging through 20% of the book.
I have seen this book being described as "cerebral," which I guess is just not for me. I read for enjoyment, and I don't enjoy having to re-read pages to try to figure out what is going on. Others may enjoy this style of writing, but I just found it to be disjointed and confusing. I don't mind non-linear storytelling, but it just felt way too choppy for me. I think this may have worked better for me as a graphic novel.

I really enjoyed the slightly surreal mystery of this, and the alternating chapters with all kinds of perspective changes on the history of our mysterious main character were really interesting. The more mysteries were revealed the less I was into it—although I know it's a requirement to reveal some secrets, I kind of liked it better when most of everything was weird and inexplicable. I found some of the explanations less compelling than the experience. I enjoyed it most when it was all vibes!

Reeves and Miéville really bring gravitas to a book. I immediately requested because I saw those two names. I didn’t jump in blind, though. I read the synopsis just to make sure the premise sounded like something I could vibe with.

The Book of Elsewhere, unfortunately, ended up being a DNF for me. The concept and characters are all fantastic; I just can’t get past the very awkward writing style or find a flow for the narrative that helps me settle in. If there’s no consistency to the sentence structure and usage, the story can’t shine through. I’m afraid that’s the case here with the writing style. I made it to about 28% and couldn’t progress any further. It really felt like I had a composition paper draft in my hand and I was working through it to give back to a student.

I really wanted to love this one, but it took 3 days just to get to 28%, and I was hating reading. I just don’t have the time to clog my TBR like this. I’d love to see it as a movie. The plot really is fantastic.

I give this 3.5 stars. I admit, I was excited to read a book by Keanu Reeves! I mean, I love him as an actor, and he seems to be a really great person. He has passions like all of us, and it seems his passion is action sci fi. This story is based on Reeves' own comic book, Brzrkr. Since I had never read that, I may have been a little lost. However, the story is fairly easy to follow. "B" seeks the ability to die like mortals. Thus there is violence, which is not surprising for this style of tale. Overall, it was interesting but not quite to my liking.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

It's a competent book! And after the God Pig is introduced, there's some real fun to it! (maybe that's a spoiler? it happens in the first 10% of the book and was the main reason I felt compelled to keep reading)
It gets a little heady when, every other chapter or so, it wades in slipstream territory but that's something I expected with China Miéville's name attached.
It also reads like an adaptation, which I think it is, of Keanu's previous work on the BRZRKR comic. By that I mean, it feels like a world that's been filled in elsewhere and, since I hadn't read BRZRKR, it meant the world just wasn't all the way filled in for me.
Broadly, I have to imagine if you enjoyed the BRZRKR comics this is going to be satisfying, there's a lot of exposition and lore. If you haven't read the BRZRKR comics, it will feel a bit foreign but if you're into surreal, borderline psychedelic, immortality tales, this may do the trick!
(Final recommendation to be shared with email subscribers of WordSmarts.com)

What a unique book. Keanu writing a sci fi really intrigued me since I love him. However this book seemed all over the place and a bit strange. There was so much potential to this story but just lacked so much.

2.5

I confess that I only started reading this because of Keanu Reeves's name.

I occasionally read sci-fi, but it's not my favorite genre, so going into this, I was already a little unsure if I was going to like it.

But I really don't enjoy reading stories where I'm confused at what's happening 90% of the time- I know some people can read stories like that and just go along for the ride, but that's not me.

There's an audience out there who enjoys this type of jumbled, confusing science fiction story, but it sadly does not include me.

Follow the harrowing journey of Unute, “B”, in his quest over the ages to understand his purpose and find mortality.

Is there NOTHING that Keanu Reeves can't do‽ If you, the reader, are anything like me, you're a fan, and that's probably why you're picking this up. You might even be a little more niche and are also familiar with Brzrkr (the comic this is based on. Also written by Reeves) AND the works of China Miéville.

The Book of Elsewhere is dark, gritty, and immensely challenging. Having the basic knowledge of Brzrkr (I’ve only read volumes one & two. Three is sitting on my nightstand) will give you a leg up when it comes to powering through the first few chapters. I promise there is *possibly* a rhythm to the writing, and a map to the madness, even if it's not clear at the beginning. Or at the end. You're going to be standing in front of a board like Charlie Kelly, a cigarette in one hand, deep dark bags under your eyes, trying to piece the whole book together. It's that kind of book.

I would love to know who wrote what chapters, or how the authors collaborated. Some chapters feel more obscure, and I’d like to assume that's Miéville’s writing, but who knows!

This is for those of us who long for more understanding of the comics. A much needed deep dive into the lore of Unute, and those who have studied him through the ages.

If you're an information hound, a fan of Miéville's fantastical writing, or would just like to read a book that feels like a movie Reeves is starring in (because he absolutely starred himself in the comics), then pick this up! It's not for everyone, but for those of us who it is for, it's a really gooey treat.

Available July 23, 2024.

Review posted on Goodreads & Instagram (@books.with.bets) 7/14/24

The Book of Elsewhere is the story of "B" or Unute, who is... well, he's an 80 thousand year old immortal berserker, really. He's a lot of things, and he's gone through a lot in such a long life. Unute just wants to be able to die. He doesn't want to die, mind you, he just wants to be able to die. A mysterious group of scientists and soldiers have promised him that they can help him do it. In the mean time, he does missions for them, and they do experiments on him. And in the end, there are shenanigans of a most mysterious kind.

Okay, so to start, you don't technically have to have read BRZRKR in order to read this and find enjoyment in it, but I have read BRZRKR, and I found that it helped, because this can get weird more often than not. This book isn't exactly a sequel to that story, it's more of a retelling. The plots are similar but there are definitely different elements, so you can read both and find enjoyment in both.

As I told my friends, I have read the Keanu Reeves book starring Keanu Reeves which is a retelling of the Keanu Reeves comic starring Keanu Reeves. That said, it absolutely does have China Miéville’s style to it, which is noticeable from the start, because he has a very unique style, and also because it has the word 'palimpsest' in it at least once.

The comic ended weirdly. The book ended differently and also weirdly, but all the same, I liked it. I found myself having trouble putting it down to sleep and whatnot. I think this is what I call a Marmite book. You either like it or you hate it, and there isn't really a lot of in-between. There is an audiobook up for preorder at this point, and it is a criminal action that Keanu Reeves doesn't narrate the book by Keanu Reeves starring Keanu Reeves based off the comic by Keanu Reeves starring Keanu Reeves. (I will never not make this joke but at the same time, I would listen the shit out of this audiobook were it narrated thusly). I'd say give it a try if you liked the comic, or if you have read and liked a book by China Miéville.

It's hard to know how to review this one because it will appeal to the handful of readers who love weird speculative fiction with some comic book-esque ultra-violence and body horror tossed in for good measure. I was lucky to get this ARC because I'm in the target audience and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

This story follows an immortal warrior who goes into a kind of berserk fury fugue when he goes to battle, so to speak, and across the unfathomable years he's been around, has now become a sort of tool in a special military unit in exchange for their help in making him mortal. It jumps around multiple timelines and POVs to aid in telling the story of "B" as he is known now, throughout the ages.

I thought it had a unique view of immortality that wasn't the usual paranormal or mythological/god stuff. It's a complex slow burn and I don't think readers are meant to understand all of it. For anyone who enjoys speculative fiction that leans into the weird and comic books, this one is for you!

Also, how cool is it that THE Keanu Reeves wrote part of this?! I don't know what parts, but still, very cool.

The Book of Elsewhere is definitely a slow burn, as much of Miêville's work tends to be, but not to the point of making it difficult to stay engaged by the story. A sci-fi story combining the action of a graphic novel with the extravagance of language of the New Weird, The Book of Elsewhere surely does transport the reader elsewhere. Where that is...well...I'm not sure. There's a fair amount to chew on in this novel. It centers primarily on the relationship to death we each have as individuals and groups. Do we annihilate, accept, or acquiesce to death? What is death? And what is life, faith, and meaning? Heady questions as is Miêville's purview. While I can't speak to the BRZRKR comics' themes and narrative strategies, this felt on par for what Miêville tends to do. The first two acts seem to build up to a rather satisfying climax, but the conclusion tends to fall short with so many loose ends to tie up. It wasn't entirely disappointing, but certainly made me want more clarity.

Ultimately, this was a solid read and I would be interested to see future collaborations between these two. The combination made the subject matter and story a more accessible while still thought-provoking read. Content warnings for sure regarding death, suicide, torture, and violence as a whole. A 3.25/5 stars from me. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me an advanced digital copy of this to read! I went into this completely open with little to no knowledge of Mieville or Reeves’ previous written works and I have to say, this was impressive to me!

There was complex world building, interesting characters, non-linear style elements and unique plot points. This work is particularly cerebral and is filled with poetic prose and vivid descriptions. This is very much a story that I had to consume slowly, thoughtfully, and consciously and I am so glad that I did. If you’re up for something experimental, complex, and thought provoking — this is for you!

My Rating Scale:

5 ⭐️ = changed my life
4 ⭐️ = must read
3 ⭐️ = liked it, entertaining
2 ⭐️ = didn’t like, avoid
1 ⭐️ = run. save yourself

I recently finished this sci-fi novel that left me with mixed feelings. The plot was pretty much what you’d expect from the genre, filled with futuristic elements and imaginative world-building. However, there was something unique about this story: the depth of emotions that the author managed to weave into even the minor characters. This added a surprising layer of richness and complexity to the narrative, which I think can be attributed to the author’s distinctive writing style.

That being said, the book was definitely a slow burn. It took me a few days of taking breaks, coming back to the story, and pushing myself to keep reading before things really started to pick up. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re looking for a fast-paced read.

For fans of true sci-fi like Star Trek, Star Wars, or Dune (minus the heavy romance elements), I’d still recommend this book. The emotional depth gives it a fresh twist, making it a worthwhile read despite the slow start. If you have the patience to stick with it, you’ll find it a rewarding experience.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey and NetGalley for their generosity in allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.