Synopsis
There have always been whispers. Legends. The warrior who cannot be killed. Who’s seen a thousand civilisations rise and fall. He has had many names: Unute, Child of Lightning, Death himself. These days, he’s known simply as ‘B’.
And he wants to be able to die.
In the present day, a US black-ops group has promised him they can help with that. And all he needs to do is help them in return. But when an all-too mortal soldier comes back to life, the impossible event ultimately points towards an even more mysterious force than B himself. One at least as strong. And one with a plan all its own.
Review
I love weird. It’s one of those words that means different things to different cultures, languages, and imaginations. But when it comes to fiction, I can’t get enough of it.
To anyone who’s familiar with China Miéville’s stories, they’ll know that he’s one of the sultans of new weird, popularising the genre through his own unique flavour of bizarre. China Miéville fans are among the most devoted and outspoken when it comes to his brand of authorial genius. And quite rightly so.
As for Keanu Reeves, it’s no secret that he’s always had a touch of the weird about him. After all, who would agree to shoot a movie as bonkers and new and daring as The Matrix back in the height of the late 90s — or, if we’re being technical, the First Keanussaince — if not someone with their own unique approach to storytelling? Someone who challenged the boundaries of what they could bring and be to their art and performances? Would your everyday, generic actor cite John Constantine as their favourite character to have played?
They’re both weird. Excellently so. And perhaps it’s for this reason I’ve always adored Keanu Reeves movies — so much so, I include him in pretty much every acknowledgment section in my own books. I’ve always admired China Miéville’s craft and voice (in fact, his novel The City And The City was a comp title for my debut book, New Yesterday). But China and Keanu are two distinct and different artists, who have built their careers on the fact that no-one really does it the same way as they do. So wouldn’t a collaboration between them just turn out to be a bit . . . I don’t know . . . weird?
Well. I’m happy to report that the answer is a categoric YES, and in all the best ways!
The Book Of Elsewhere is every bit as gritty, immersive, and indulgent as you could hope for. It’s stylistically suited to China’s lens, while focussed on Keanu’s character-centric vision. There’s a brilliant fusion between the idea and the delivery that just works, and provides a page-turning, pulse-pounding, powerfully arresting result.
If you’ve read the BRZRKR comics, you’ll find lots to enjoy here, especially when it comes to the protagonist. He’s gone by many names and has lived for centuries, died countless times only to be reformed and remade to continue living, and the weight of his years is felt in the weariness of an identity crisis that has pursued him all his life. After all, if you’ve lived long enough to understand the world around you and your place in it, then what bigger mystery is there to solve than the riddle of your very self? Are you a god? Are you immortal? Are you human? Can you ever die? Are you even alive? The way these questions are explored through the different perspectives that the book cycles through is surprising and layered, adding a lot of cool speculation that keeps your brain whirring while the action plays out in vivid detail.
In terms of action, there’s something carnal and violent about the prose when it comes to the set pieces. Blood, bone, and gore are spilled across the page in a ballet that’s as choreographed and intricate as a John Wick gunfight. It’s what you’d expect from the mind of a man who knows kung fu.
There’s a non-linear structure (switching between third person and second person tenses) that adds a hint of mystery about the book. And a sub-plot involving an immortal pig intensifies the intrigue. And yes, I know how that sounds — an immortal pig! — but trust me, it’s not silly, and it’s not trivial. It’s poetic, bold, and above all, the right kind of weird.
One of the things I really enjoyed was the sense of indulgence that’s present right from page one, all the way to the finale. You can tell that both China and Keanu have been granted permission to freewheel and not hold anything back, and why would you want them to? There’s a freedom and gusto about the prose that borders on bravado, but adds to the overall pleasure of the reading experience. You’ll find words in here that you may need a dictionary for, but the literary aspects of the story don’t deviate from the accessibility of the text. It’s a very well constructed and balanced book — straddling a line between high brow and mainstream — and there’s a lot to admire about the flair and inventive approach that’s been taken to what could have otherwise been a relatively straightforward story.
Overall, this feels like a satisfying collaboration between two artists, providing fans of genre-blending high-octane new weird action-thrillers plenty to dig their teeth into. I was hoping for The Book Of Elsewhere to be a real treat, and it delivered in spades. It’s provocative and inspired, contemplative and entertaining, vibrant and authentic. It’s weirdly captivating and captivatingly weird. As Keanu would say — ‘woah!’ And as China would say — well, who can predict what China would say!
Come for the weird. Stay for the weird. I absolutely loved it. Now, Keanu, when is it my turn to collaborate with you?
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