NEW YORK, July 23: Keanu Reeves, the renowned Hollywood star, has recently shared his thoughts on mortality in an interview with BBC News. At 59 years old, Reeves confessed, "I'm thinking about death all the time." He added that this contemplation is not necessarily negative, stating, "Hopefully it's not crippling, but hopefully it's sensitised [us] to an appreciation of the breath we have, and the relationships that we have the potential to have."

Reeves' current focus is not on promoting a new blockbuster but on his debut novel, The Book of Elsewhere. Collaborating with British science fiction author China Miéville, the novel explores the life of an immortal warrior who desires the ability to die.

During an interview in a dimly lit hotel bar in central London, where Reeves had squeezed in time between his Dogstar band gigs, he appeared fatigued but passionate about his new literary venture. The Book of Elsewhere builds on the BRZRKR comic book series, which Reeves created and which will also be adapted into a live-action Netflix film and an anime series.

Reeves expressed his love for comic books, saying, "I love the images. I love words and storytelling and I love the way that you can have this engagement that overlays. And so you can look at the art and then you can follow the story." Despite his enthusiasm, he downplayed his role in writing the novel, stating, "I didn't write a novel. China wrote a novel." Miéville countered this, explaining, "It wouldn't exist in the form without a lot of very thoughtful and careful work with Keanu."

The novel’s central character, known only as "B," shares physical traits with Reeves. However, B, who is 80,000 years old and endowed with god-like abilities, is vastly different from Reeves' personal demeanor. The character’s violent tendencies are a stark contrast to the actor's well-known mild-mannered persona. Reeves attributed B's violence to influences from his action film roles, noting, "I think it was influenced by some of the action films that I had done."

The BRZRKR comic series received mixed reviews, and Reeves and Miéville hope to achieve similar success with the novel. While some critics found it "enjoyable" but "a bit more on the gory side," others praised it as "excellent" and "intriguing," though with a caution about its violence.

Addressing concerns about the impact of violence in media, Reeves hoped readers would not emulate the graphic scenes in the book. "I hope if they read BRZRKR, that they don't go out and start ripping people's arms off and chopping their heads off," he said. "Because there's also a love story in it. But if you do read it, I hope maybe you can find love if you don't have it."

Miéville also dismissed the link between fictional and real-world violence, stating, "I get quite irritated about how this question is posed. It's so clearly a kind of cultural scapegoating." He argued that blaming media for violence is a way of deflecting from those who profit from it.

As for whether creating a fantasy world is a form of escape for him, Reeves reflected, "Maybe ultimately the fantasy of building another world brings some kind of comfort in some way. There's something ultimately about the creative gesture that comes from pain." He added, "Creating stuff is great. Just creating, sharing, and hopefully people like the stories that we tell."

On the topic of what he plans to do with the proceeds from the book, Reeves countered reports of his alleged aversion to owning things. "I love owning things, I love having stuff," he said. "I'm certainly not going to present myself as someone who gives everything away."