Nothing But a Star is an eclectic mix of poetry, essays, song lyrics and more. Forming an exquisite scrapbook of moods, memories, counter-culture lore, literary extravagance and unschooled imagination, the book offers us a chance to linger in what J.G. Ballard (one of Reed's admirers) called "the visionary present," the imaginary future that exists already around us. With poetry that perfectly captures moments of fascination and inspiration in London, an essay on the suicides of Hart Crane and Harry Crosby, a playscript for a version of The Picture of Dorian Gray set in the 21st century, a pop libretto written for Marc Almond and based on J-K Huysmans' A rebours, Nothing But a Star is an assured marriage of decadence with the futuristic, glittering with the sequins of a pop culture sensibility."