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Ziggyology: A Brief History Of Ziggy Stardust
From the author of the acclaimed Mozipedia, a work of supreme pop archaeology unearths every influence that brought Ziggy to life, from H. G. Wells to Holst, Kabuki to Kubrick, and Elvis to Iggy
The most ambitious and important book on Ziggy Stardust ever written, this study documents the epic drama of the Starman's short but eventful time on Planet Earth, and why Bowie eventually had to kill him. It was the greatest invention in the history of pop music—the rock god who came from the stars—which struck a young David Bowie like a lightning bolt from the heavens. When Ziggy the glam alien messiah fell to Earth, he transformed Bowie from a prodigy to a superstar who changed the face of music forever. But who was Ziggy Stardust? And where did he really come from? Beautifully packaged, this will be a must-have artifact for Bowie fans.
The most ambitious and important book on Ziggy Stardust ever written, this study documents the epic drama of the Starman's short but eventful time on Planet Earth, and why Bowie eventually had to kill him. It was the greatest invention in the history of pop music—the rock god who came from the stars—which struck a young David Bowie like a lightning bolt from the heavens. When Ziggy the glam alien messiah fell to Earth, he transformed Bowie from a prodigy to a superstar who changed the face of music forever. But who was Ziggy Stardust? And where did he really come from? Beautifully packaged, this will be a must-have artifact for Bowie fans.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published March 28, 2013
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785 people want to read
About the author
Simon Goddard
27 books35 followersSimon Goddard was born in Cardiff in 1971.
He is the author of over a dozen books, most prominently the Bowie Odyssey series.
He is not religious and ought not be confused with anyone of the same name on Goodreads who has written religious stuff.
agent: thenorthlitagency.com
He is the author of over a dozen books, most prominently the Bowie Odyssey series.
He is not religious and ought not be confused with anyone of the same name on Goodreads who has written religious stuff.
agent: thenorthlitagency.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
December 13, 2024
Simon Goddard’s “Ziggyology: A Brief History of Ziggy Stardust” is not a typical David Bowie biography. In fact, I wouldn’t really call it a biography at all, as it is not actually about Bowie insofar as it is about the persona that Bowie embodied for a year, starting in 1972, known to the world as Ziggy Stardust.
Bowie’s album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars was a rock ‘n’ roll concept album that took the world by storm. The glittery bisexual alien named Ziggy was a revolutionary figure, for many reasons. For Goddard, Ziggy was a messiah.
Goddard’s book treats Ziggy, in biographical fashion, as a real entity---a sentient alien life force---rather than just an idea that possessed the mind and body of Bowie. It doesn’t seem gimmicky or cheesy, however, perhaps owing to the fact that Goddard is a talented writer. He also doesn’t take himself too seriously.
What he does is brilliantly trace the background of Bowie’s idea of Ziggy throughout history, compiling all of the elements that surreptitiously combined throughout the ages to ultimately create Bowie’s rock ‘n roll Messiah.
Goddard covers everything: from the Big Bang Theory to the famous mathematician Johannes Kepler (who wrote the very first science fiction novel ever and subsequently died a very unhappy death because of it) to Japan’s “kabukimono” (an underground fashion movement of the seventeenth century started by gay and bisexual social outcast samurai) to H.G. Wells’s classic novel “War of the Worlds” (which was actually a socio-political satire criticizing England’s history of imperialist rule) to Elvis Presley (who made it acceptable for white people to sing “black” songs and shake their pelvises in provocative ways) and everything else in between.
At times, Goddard’s book reads like the weirdest but coolest textbook ever written. It also, at times, reads like a science fiction novel, except that the events and characters in it are all true.
“Ziggyology” is an unusual book, to say the least, but it is perhaps the most logical way to tell the story of such an unusual period in rock ‘n’ roll history, and it is definitely the most entertaining book I have read about Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust days.
A definite must-read for any Bowiephile.
Bowie’s album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars was a rock ‘n’ roll concept album that took the world by storm. The glittery bisexual alien named Ziggy was a revolutionary figure, for many reasons. For Goddard, Ziggy was a messiah.
Goddard’s book treats Ziggy, in biographical fashion, as a real entity---a sentient alien life force---rather than just an idea that possessed the mind and body of Bowie. It doesn’t seem gimmicky or cheesy, however, perhaps owing to the fact that Goddard is a talented writer. He also doesn’t take himself too seriously.
What he does is brilliantly trace the background of Bowie’s idea of Ziggy throughout history, compiling all of the elements that surreptitiously combined throughout the ages to ultimately create Bowie’s rock ‘n roll Messiah.
Goddard covers everything: from the Big Bang Theory to the famous mathematician Johannes Kepler (who wrote the very first science fiction novel ever and subsequently died a very unhappy death because of it) to Japan’s “kabukimono” (an underground fashion movement of the seventeenth century started by gay and bisexual social outcast samurai) to H.G. Wells’s classic novel “War of the Worlds” (which was actually a socio-political satire criticizing England’s history of imperialist rule) to Elvis Presley (who made it acceptable for white people to sing “black” songs and shake their pelvises in provocative ways) and everything else in between.
At times, Goddard’s book reads like the weirdest but coolest textbook ever written. It also, at times, reads like a science fiction novel, except that the events and characters in it are all true.
“Ziggyology” is an unusual book, to say the least, but it is perhaps the most logical way to tell the story of such an unusual period in rock ‘n’ roll history, and it is definitely the most entertaining book I have read about Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust days.
A definite must-read for any Bowiephile.
May 2, 2013
In my (very short?) life time, the one beautiful narrative in my life is the one called Ziggy Stardust. In what seemed like weeks the very first David Bowie album I bought "Hunky Dory" somehow turned into Ziggy. The moment it happened I felt the world was not exactly all right, but at least someone was fighting for our side. That little pipe bomb of vinyl was called "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars."
Simon Goddard's odd form of biography on the Bowie character is a must-read for the glam damaged fan. And that is something that i am. Like all great characters, the Ziggy motif has a lot of fingerprints on it, including those belonging to the great Vince Taylor and The Legendary Stardust Cowboy - both perhaps insane, but nevertheless the spark that started Bowie into another world of his making. That, plus Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" and "2001" laid out a future that Bowie felt was a perfect fit for his creation.
And what is Ziggy but the ultimate outsider re-sold as a rock n' roll star. Even Elvis seemed to come from another planet. Maybe Memphis is another part of the universe. Yeah Memphis, Tokyo and London. Outside our planet. Goddard traces the star steps from early Bowie to himself turning into Ziggy. I like this book a lot due that he lists all the Ziggy cultural influences that somewhat is even more interesting than Bowie himself. And I think the glam god would appreciate this.
Simon Goddard's odd form of biography on the Bowie character is a must-read for the glam damaged fan. And that is something that i am. Like all great characters, the Ziggy motif has a lot of fingerprints on it, including those belonging to the great Vince Taylor and The Legendary Stardust Cowboy - both perhaps insane, but nevertheless the spark that started Bowie into another world of his making. That, plus Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" and "2001" laid out a future that Bowie felt was a perfect fit for his creation.
And what is Ziggy but the ultimate outsider re-sold as a rock n' roll star. Even Elvis seemed to come from another planet. Maybe Memphis is another part of the universe. Yeah Memphis, Tokyo and London. Outside our planet. Goddard traces the star steps from early Bowie to himself turning into Ziggy. I like this book a lot due that he lists all the Ziggy cultural influences that somewhat is even more interesting than Bowie himself. And I think the glam god would appreciate this.
October 5, 2025
we‘re all ziggy stardust (4.5 ig??)
February 10, 2015
The language is superb, but the book is just too much. This is not a book about David Bowie and what influenced, as much as it's a book about the influences themselves.
Over half the book is about Beethoven, Geishas, H.G. Wells, astronomy, the universe, philosophy, homosexuality in Japan, and other stuff that influenced Bowie in one way or another.
It's just too much.
It took me over 4 moths to finish it. Does that say anything about how much I enjoyed it?
Over half the book is about Beethoven, Geishas, H.G. Wells, astronomy, the universe, philosophy, homosexuality in Japan, and other stuff that influenced Bowie in one way or another.
It's just too much.
It took me over 4 moths to finish it. Does that say anything about how much I enjoyed it?
March 10, 2017
A brief history of Ziggy Stardust and how all the stardust in the solar system aligned to shape planet Earth, and the man David Jones/Bowie, into a receptacle for the Glam Rock Messiah.
That's pretty much the attitude taken in this book. Bowie himself isn't born until the end of chapter 7, and doesn't become Bowie until much later. The first third or so of the book takes us on a journey covering such people as Pythagoras, Kepler, 17th Century gender-bending performers, Beethoven, H. G. Wells, and Gustav Holst. And even after Bowie comes to be, we get Elvis, Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop, and the astonishing musical anarchy that called itself The Legendary Stardust Cowboy. All presented as not just the prerequisite for, but as a fated development culminating in the predestined arrival, glam conquest, and rock 'n´ roll suicide of the Starman.
Goddard takes a lot of liberties, including apparently knowing what Bowie is thinking when he looks in the mirror. But for all I know he has read Bowie's thoughts in a biography somewhere. The research gone into this book, and the attached reading list, is massive. All in all, take it with a pinch of salt and enjoy the ride. And the music. So much music to play as your reading soundtrack.
That's pretty much the attitude taken in this book. Bowie himself isn't born until the end of chapter 7, and doesn't become Bowie until much later. The first third or so of the book takes us on a journey covering such people as Pythagoras, Kepler, 17th Century gender-bending performers, Beethoven, H. G. Wells, and Gustav Holst. And even after Bowie comes to be, we get Elvis, Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop, and the astonishing musical anarchy that called itself The Legendary Stardust Cowboy. All presented as not just the prerequisite for, but as a fated development culminating in the predestined arrival, glam conquest, and rock 'n´ roll suicide of the Starman.
Goddard takes a lot of liberties, including apparently knowing what Bowie is thinking when he looks in the mirror. But for all I know he has read Bowie's thoughts in a biography somewhere. The research gone into this book, and the attached reading list, is massive. All in all, take it with a pinch of salt and enjoy the ride. And the music. So much music to play as your reading soundtrack.
January 27, 2020
It's safe to say I've never read anything like this biography of a single, short-lived incarnation in the incredibly varied career of David Bowie. If you can make it through the first 100-page cosmic jive through everything from Greek philosophy to Kepler to feudal Japan through to Beethoven and Holst (a drive-by that would make any decent historian throw their hands up in frustration), Goddard eventually descends to the specific context surrounding the early life of David Bowie and the multitude of pop-cultural forces that collided to form Ziggy Stardust.
The prose is so purple it's pretty much ultra-violet, which at first I found difficult to read. But either it settles down or I got used to it, because by the end I was really enjoying it. And because Bowie and my mom were born one week apart, it was also a fascinating window into her formative years, although, in her words, Bowie was "just too weird." :-D
Sigh. I miss Bowie... :-(
The prose is so purple it's pretty much ultra-violet, which at first I found difficult to read. But either it settles down or I got used to it, because by the end I was really enjoying it. And because Bowie and my mom were born one week apart, it was also a fascinating window into her formative years, although, in her words, Bowie was "just too weird." :-D
Sigh. I miss Bowie... :-(
January 2, 2016
This is a biography with a difference. It's central conceit is that Ziggy Stardust wasn't a character Bowie played but a germ of an idea - star dust - floating in the cosmos until the time was right to take David Bowie as his vessel. It's a kind of cultural biography of the ingredients that contributed to the birth of Ziggy - From Copernicus and kabuki theatre to Beethoven and Quatermass. Like Bowie itself it's in love with its ideas, is pretentious and playful and a celebration of cultural hybridisation.
June 29, 2021
Goddard’s love for David and his music is so palpable with every page in “Ziggyology” and this is what makes it such an fantastic read. As yet another Bowie fanatic it was wonderful to pick up on the minuscule references that would be hidden on the pages of this biography. For the Bowie-obsessed, by the Bowie-obsessed. Massive kudos to Goddard for the sheer amount of research that went into his work - it certainly paid off! If I could rate it higher I would - the best David Bowie related text I’ve ever come across.
June 22, 2015
A true love letter written by a super fan. Goddard recounts the origins of the seminal Bowie album "Ziggy Stardust." He misses nothing, going all the way back to the origins of mankind. By page 40, he has wrapped up the ancient Greeks and is getting closer to modern day but it will still be another 100 pages before Ziggy makes an appearance. There does not appear to be any original investigation or interviews here - Goddard plants his story in the larger cultural context - but Goddard highlights some interesting threads.
A lot of it is speculative, including some dialogue that is largely a figment of the writer's imagination. Still, its good fun and it captures a specific moment in time. The writing style is hit and miss - lots of sentence fragments meant to paint an abstract picture. It can be over the top and melodramatic but every once in a while he hits the right note. There are lots of obscure references to other individuals who are not named. Either you really know your obscure cultural trivia or they are just maddening. Who, for example, is the 25 year old Indian concert goer referenced but never identified? Not everyone is as obsessed with music as Goddard and eventually it gets a little annoying.
For the real Bowie freaks out there. Not sure anyone else would care, but given the number of disappointing Bowie bios available these days, this one is actually worth reading.
A lot of it is speculative, including some dialogue that is largely a figment of the writer's imagination. Still, its good fun and it captures a specific moment in time. The writing style is hit and miss - lots of sentence fragments meant to paint an abstract picture. It can be over the top and melodramatic but every once in a while he hits the right note. There are lots of obscure references to other individuals who are not named. Either you really know your obscure cultural trivia or they are just maddening. Who, for example, is the 25 year old Indian concert goer referenced but never identified? Not everyone is as obsessed with music as Goddard and eventually it gets a little annoying.
For the real Bowie freaks out there. Not sure anyone else would care, but given the number of disappointing Bowie bios available these days, this one is actually worth reading.
February 8, 2014
Much as 'Ziggy Stardust' pushed the boundaries of rock and roll, Goddard pushes the boundaries of deliriously breathless music journalism to its final frontier. A book which doesn't get to it's subject for a hundred pages, but treats Ziggy's influences as his alarum before concluding at the point where the kids have killed the man and Bowie breaks up the band, 'Ziggyology' is as far out as its subject matter.
June 21, 2013
So many sentences with one too many adjectives to endure before you reach the chapter about the last night in Hammersmith which almost makes it worth it
May 16, 2024
I own and have read a fair few books on Bowie, but this is really like no other Bowie book. It's not a casual fans introduction, more one for the Bowie fan who has read everything else.
It's original and with a huge scope - earlier chapters start with the big bang and work through such varied topics as feudal Japan, classical music, science, literature, war ... basically everything that happened in the world with the slightest bearing on the creation of Ziggy Stardust.
It's told in a very descriptive, almost poetic style, capturing the magic and glamour of the subject. It does take a certain amount of creative license with describing how certain things played out/ what people were thinking, but it is really well done.
As well as influences on Ziggy, the author makes sure to note those he influenced, although its not always immediately obvious who he's talking about (a snaggle-toothed boy called John, or the daughter of a Mr Ciccone). There are also some hilarious descriptions of other musicians - Herman's Hermits as 'a Lancashire hot-pot of guitars and teeth' or Tyrannosaurus Rex as sounding like 'a Hare Krishna playing nursery rhymes on a ukulele being pursued by a frantically clopping pantomime horse'.
So it's a quite unusual take, but quite fitting, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There's also a very thorough reference section at the end.
It's original and with a huge scope - earlier chapters start with the big bang and work through such varied topics as feudal Japan, classical music, science, literature, war ... basically everything that happened in the world with the slightest bearing on the creation of Ziggy Stardust.
It's told in a very descriptive, almost poetic style, capturing the magic and glamour of the subject. It does take a certain amount of creative license with describing how certain things played out/ what people were thinking, but it is really well done.
As well as influences on Ziggy, the author makes sure to note those he influenced, although its not always immediately obvious who he's talking about (a snaggle-toothed boy called John, or the daughter of a Mr Ciccone). There are also some hilarious descriptions of other musicians - Herman's Hermits as 'a Lancashire hot-pot of guitars and teeth' or Tyrannosaurus Rex as sounding like 'a Hare Krishna playing nursery rhymes on a ukulele being pursued by a frantically clopping pantomime horse'.
So it's a quite unusual take, but quite fitting, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There's also a very thorough reference section at the end.
November 5, 2019
Not just about the birth and death of Ziggy Stardust, this is a history lesson about what may (or may not in some cases) have influenced both Bowie and his alter-ego Ziggy. From HG Wells to Holst. Lou Reed to Iggy Pop. All of them interesting and fitting in well in this tale of the spaceman visiting Earth with some flights of fancy thrown in. My first album was Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, received as a Christmas present (asked for), as the memory of Starman being played on Too of the Pops is as fresh in my memory, as if it was only last week I watched this. RIP Ziggy Stardust and David Bowie.
Ray Smillie
Ray Smillie
January 31, 2018
More about the creation of Ziggy Stardust. like a sci-fi-bio of musician artist. skimmed a lot great photos.
January 28, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed it. Entertaining, loved the way it spins historical threads together to tell the story. Not some incredible biography, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
October 29, 2014
A Must-read for Bowie fans!
As a lifelong fan I’ve read my fair share of books about Mr B, the best of which are insightful and educating, the worst uninspired dull listings of facts and figures. ‘Ziggyology’ by Simon Goddard is an altogether different beast. He takes the motif of everyone’s favourite glam rock messiah and uses it as a riff over which to improvise a highly engaging mythology of eclectic characters, influences and connections.
Peppered with nodding references for the initiated, ‘Ziggyology’ straps the reader into that Gemini Spaceship and blasts us through the history of popular culture and beyond … from the Big Bang to the Hammersmith Odeon … from “Let there be light!” to “Everybody …” This is no simple historical account—it’s an astrological chart for the Starman, the “Kether to Malkuth” of the Ziggy Kabbalah. And a riveting read to boot.
As well as the expected connections from Bowie-lore (Brel, Crowley, Lou, Iggy, Mott et al) the book also features (a little unnervingly) some personal cultural memes that have buzzed around my consciousness for years now: HG Wells, “Dead of Night”, Hoagy Carmichael, “The Little Prince”, “War of the Worlds”, “Quatermass” … Roll up! Roll Up! There’s something here for everyone!
Seriously, for Bowie fans—or anyone with the vaguest interest in the ephemera of C20th popular culture—this is a must-read!
As a lifelong fan I’ve read my fair share of books about Mr B, the best of which are insightful and educating, the worst uninspired dull listings of facts and figures. ‘Ziggyology’ by Simon Goddard is an altogether different beast. He takes the motif of everyone’s favourite glam rock messiah and uses it as a riff over which to improvise a highly engaging mythology of eclectic characters, influences and connections.
Peppered with nodding references for the initiated, ‘Ziggyology’ straps the reader into that Gemini Spaceship and blasts us through the history of popular culture and beyond … from the Big Bang to the Hammersmith Odeon … from “Let there be light!” to “Everybody …” This is no simple historical account—it’s an astrological chart for the Starman, the “Kether to Malkuth” of the Ziggy Kabbalah. And a riveting read to boot.
As well as the expected connections from Bowie-lore (Brel, Crowley, Lou, Iggy, Mott et al) the book also features (a little unnervingly) some personal cultural memes that have buzzed around my consciousness for years now: HG Wells, “Dead of Night”, Hoagy Carmichael, “The Little Prince”, “War of the Worlds”, “Quatermass” … Roll up! Roll Up! There’s something here for everyone!
Seriously, for Bowie fans—or anyone with the vaguest interest in the ephemera of C20th popular culture—this is a must-read!
December 2, 2015
If Thomas Pynchon and Don Delillo wrote a history of Ziggy Stardust, this would be it. Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Beethoven, Holst, H.G. Wells, Orson Welles, Elvis, Andy Warhol, The Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, T. Rex, Mott the Hoople, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Stanley Kubrick, A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Beatles, Nico, drugs, drink, abortion, sex, sex and more sex, kabuki theater and samurai, the list goes on and on. All of the real and possibly influences that brought about Ziggy Stardust are explored and explained, and finally that glorious year of Ziggy is explored in detail before his eventual, inevitable suicide. A really fun and interesting read with many minor tidbits that bring depth to that time period (for example, the cover photos from Lou Reed's Transformer and Iggy Pop's Raw Power were taken at the same concert when they opened for Ziggy, and by the same photographer who shot the front and back covers of "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars"). If you love David Bowie and especially love the period from Hunky Dory to Aladdin Sane you will really love this book. I'm certain I'll read it again and again.
August 16, 2018
Don't you just love music books written with that much passion and enthusiasm? Well, I do, and I've found this book really great, with a contagious feeling to it.
You can tell how much the author loves Bowie. He writes so passionately, sometimes even a little too much, but always very fun if you're a Bowie fan yourself. It's also a beautiful example of how to write about music, rock'n'roll in particular.
It's not a biography and even less a book about David Bowie himself, but more about Ziggy Stardust. The cultural atmosphere and historical events that gave us the fabulous alien phenomenon.
I loved those inter-connections and anacondas he made from Beethoven through Elvis to Bowie. While it's well known to think about Elvis, Iggy Pop, Mark Bolan, Andy Warhol and Lou Reed when thinking about this time of Bowie's career, there even more interesting connections like the cowboy stardust story, Beethoven, old sci-fi film and music pieces, and Kabuki theater which Goddard writes about so interestingly.
You can tell how much the author loves Bowie. He writes so passionately, sometimes even a little too much, but always very fun if you're a Bowie fan yourself. It's also a beautiful example of how to write about music, rock'n'roll in particular.
It's not a biography and even less a book about David Bowie himself, but more about Ziggy Stardust. The cultural atmosphere and historical events that gave us the fabulous alien phenomenon.
I loved those inter-connections and anacondas he made from Beethoven through Elvis to Bowie. While it's well known to think about Elvis, Iggy Pop, Mark Bolan, Andy Warhol and Lou Reed when thinking about this time of Bowie's career, there even more interesting connections like the cowboy stardust story, Beethoven, old sci-fi film and music pieces, and Kabuki theater which Goddard writes about so interestingly.
January 18, 2024
The author has some odd ideas, and the first 90 pages are about kabuki theater and the origin of the universe, but this is a really cool book. The conceit is that David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust persona was like a real person taking over Bowie’s life. There are a lot of crazy coincidences that will blow your mind. My favorite parts were 1) when Bowie finally saw the Velvet Underground live and then met Lou Reed but it turned out it wasn’t really Lou Reed at all 2) everything about Marc Bolan; he is presented as David Bowie’s doppelganger who is trying to sabotage him. Also there are some very nice photos, and the book design is gorgeous.
April 19, 2015
Rather fictitious in the novel material. Unless the author interviewed the people in Bowie's life, there was no way of definitely knowing many of the actions and words spoken and thoughts pondered in his book.
Though! It painted a picture of Ziggy I had never quite seen before. One that I felt sorry for, and pitied rather than envied. The transformations were rather flawlessly executed by Goddard!
Photo selections were good as well, I liked how much of a difference between the first set and second set there were.
Worth a read, one of the better Bowie books in my opinion.
Though! It painted a picture of Ziggy I had never quite seen before. One that I felt sorry for, and pitied rather than envied. The transformations were rather flawlessly executed by Goddard!
Photo selections were good as well, I liked how much of a difference between the first set and second set there were.
Worth a read, one of the better Bowie books in my opinion.
May 8, 2016
Cosmically delightful. This is truly a book about Ziggy -- all the myriad galactic influences that brought him to life for a sweet short while.
October 9, 2016
Brilliant.
January 6, 2021
This is a good book - it is easy to read and kept my interest from beginning to end.
However, it is a very difficult book to categorise - it is a fictionalised account of an imaginary character played by a real person. It outlines the historical figures and events that shaped the character and recounts his brief 'time on earth' using historical records and a little extra imagination. There are plenty of real people in the story (many no longer with us), but the dialogue and the assumption that Ziggy stardust was in fact an interstellar traveller waiting to be accommodated by David Bowie remain fictitious with very little verifiable evidence.
Having said that, it was a fun ride through Ziggy's brief life and financially imperative death. Bowie hardcore fans will not find much that is new in these pages, but those who are still unfamiliar with parts of the early Bowie story will benefit a lot from the very well-researched fabiography (fabled biography). For instance, David Bowie's eyes were not different colours - it just seemed that way because of the permanently dilated pupil in one eye - and so he had full Vision. And Sound. To be frank, I never was much of a Ziggy fan - I much prefer the later 70's Berlin period - as it was all very Rock'n'Roll and responded to the preferences of glam rock. This book helps to locate the inspiration behind the music and helps explain why it seemed much less forward-looking than his later material.
However, it is a very difficult book to categorise - it is a fictionalised account of an imaginary character played by a real person. It outlines the historical figures and events that shaped the character and recounts his brief 'time on earth' using historical records and a little extra imagination. There are plenty of real people in the story (many no longer with us), but the dialogue and the assumption that Ziggy stardust was in fact an interstellar traveller waiting to be accommodated by David Bowie remain fictitious with very little verifiable evidence.
Having said that, it was a fun ride through Ziggy's brief life and financially imperative death. Bowie hardcore fans will not find much that is new in these pages, but those who are still unfamiliar with parts of the early Bowie story will benefit a lot from the very well-researched fabiography (fabled biography). For instance, David Bowie's eyes were not different colours - it just seemed that way because of the permanently dilated pupil in one eye - and so he had full Vision. And Sound. To be frank, I never was much of a Ziggy fan - I much prefer the later 70's Berlin period - as it was all very Rock'n'Roll and responded to the preferences of glam rock. This book helps to locate the inspiration behind the music and helps explain why it seemed much less forward-looking than his later material.
June 22, 2018
Bowie remains one of the most important creative artists in my personal universe, and back in the day, I was an obsessive Ziggy fan, reading everything about him I could get my hands on and spending hours contemplating photos of his various haircuts and costumes... and even so, I found a lot of surprises and much to learn in this deeply researched re-telling of Bowie's explosive emergence on the world stage.
Goddard's central conceit is remarkable: his subject isn't so much Bowie the human being as the character he incarnated, Ziggy Stardust himself. His archaeological reconstruction of the many elements that made up the ground of Ziggy's being covers a dazzling range of themes, threads, and thrilling motifs, from science and science-fiction to mid-century pop and art. He gets a quarter of the way into the book, covering Ziggy's prehistory, before David Jones is even conceived.
And then he details the evolution of the yet-unborn character through the course of David's life, recounting and reimagining Bowie's biography, until the hour of Ziggy's crystallization as a living superstar, and up to his mythic rock 'n' roll suicide. A brilliantly allusive, gossipy, lyrical meditation on the career-defining emergence of one of the Twentieth Century's most significant and influential cultural figures. Any true fan will eat it with a fork and spoon.
Goddard's central conceit is remarkable: his subject isn't so much Bowie the human being as the character he incarnated, Ziggy Stardust himself. His archaeological reconstruction of the many elements that made up the ground of Ziggy's being covers a dazzling range of themes, threads, and thrilling motifs, from science and science-fiction to mid-century pop and art. He gets a quarter of the way into the book, covering Ziggy's prehistory, before David Jones is even conceived.
And then he details the evolution of the yet-unborn character through the course of David's life, recounting and reimagining Bowie's biography, until the hour of Ziggy's crystallization as a living superstar, and up to his mythic rock 'n' roll suicide. A brilliantly allusive, gossipy, lyrical meditation on the career-defining emergence of one of the Twentieth Century's most significant and influential cultural figures. Any true fan will eat it with a fork and spoon.
June 18, 2019
I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this book at first. Did we really need to know about how all this ancient history in relation to a 1070's glam rock LP? Wasn't Simon Goddard's writing just a little too pretentious?
Well...it turns out that we did.
And yes, maybe it was - but with a tongue firmly in cheek.
So we learn about Beethoven, HG Wells, Holst, and many more as all Goddard convinces us that all roads lead to Ziggy Stardust, or - perhaps more accurately - that Ziggy would never have happened without all these people, influences and events along the way (let alone the rather important meeting of young David Jones parents without whom none of this would have been possible).
And then...eventually!...we finally reach the Ziggy era about halfway through the book and we follow events from the recording of the album, the photos that adorned the sleeve (though interestingly the cover of this edition features Aladdin Sane rather than Ziggy), the iconic TV performances, the live gigs, the rivalry with Bolan, etc, etc, all the way through to Ziggy's so-called on-stage Rock'n'Roll Suicide at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1973. All told in Goddard's knowingly over-the-top descriptive but rather humorous style.
Top writing. Top book x
Well...it turns out that we did.
And yes, maybe it was - but with a tongue firmly in cheek.
So we learn about Beethoven, HG Wells, Holst, and many more as all Goddard convinces us that all roads lead to Ziggy Stardust, or - perhaps more accurately - that Ziggy would never have happened without all these people, influences and events along the way (let alone the rather important meeting of young David Jones parents without whom none of this would have been possible).
And then...eventually!...we finally reach the Ziggy era about halfway through the book and we follow events from the recording of the album, the photos that adorned the sleeve (though interestingly the cover of this edition features Aladdin Sane rather than Ziggy), the iconic TV performances, the live gigs, the rivalry with Bolan, etc, etc, all the way through to Ziggy's so-called on-stage Rock'n'Roll Suicide at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1973. All told in Goddard's knowingly over-the-top descriptive but rather humorous style.
Top writing. Top book x
June 7, 2019
Ziggyology is an interesting book in that it is historical fiction based on the Ziggy era, not a biography. The problem I had while reading this book was how painfully dull and almost unnecessary the first half is. By the time Ziggy steps into the story I was already bored, clinging to any interest I had in this book, trying to make it to the end. The author does well in his creation of an interesting Ziggy/Bowie fan fiction, but again this comes in during the second half when I'd already mentally checked out.
Perhaps I'll try to read it again in a few years, knowing what the content is - maybe I'll enjoy it more.
Perhaps I'll try to read it again in a few years, knowing what the content is - maybe I'll enjoy it more.
July 7, 2024
A very detailed narration of a very niche story. Won’t be everybody’s cup of tea but if you like Bowie and his Ziggy era AND you love reading about seemingly random stuff too then it’s your book. I do love both so I enjoyed it however the writing style is not the easiest to digest especially if English isn’t your first language. But reading not only about Bowie but also about how space travel evolved, rock&roll and glamour style were born and other big characters of the 70’s music era was a delight for me.
July 24, 2021
I was a bit reluctant to start this book as I had no idea what it really entailed.
It took some time to fully engross myself into the book, but I can now say I thoroughly enjoyed it. There's a lot to take in, lots of information and names to keep track of - however, the references to various artists and influences to David Bowie, and the encounters he had with these, were deeply interesting to me as I am also a fan of those mentioned.
I enjoyed reading about David's journey to become Ziggy Stardust and I feel like I know Bowie a little better now (which is always welcome as he is the love of my life).
Thank you Simon Goddard!
It took some time to fully engross myself into the book, but I can now say I thoroughly enjoyed it. There's a lot to take in, lots of information and names to keep track of - however, the references to various artists and influences to David Bowie, and the encounters he had with these, were deeply interesting to me as I am also a fan of those mentioned.
I enjoyed reading about David's journey to become Ziggy Stardust and I feel like I know Bowie a little better now (which is always welcome as he is the love of my life).
Thank you Simon Goddard!
June 5, 2018
Its interesting. The first few chapters are difficult because they're not about Ziggy, but about his influences. It goes into detail about Beethoven and Kabuki culture. Once it gets into Bowie, it gets quite intriguing. Such specific details about the Bowie, and the events that led to him becoming Ziggy. Well worth the read for any Bowie fans.
August 7, 2022
I only have a passing interest in Bowie but this book is an interesting read and I like the looong build up, setting the stage, for Ziggy. Your main character doesn't really appear until 100 pages in. This book made me nostalgic for the days of real rock 'n' rolls stars, even if they were just the lucky ones who made it at the time.
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