Reinhard Kleist weaves the gripping tale of this dazzling character's genesis, tracing both Bowie's hapless efforts on the London music scene before Ziggy's conception, and his struggles with his own creation at the height of his fame. As Bowie transforms himself, ever more dizzyingly, into a self-portrait of an egocentric rock star, his extravagant lifestyle threatens to bring the real world collapsing around his ears.