The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.

It opens with a quote from Galactus. It has shoutouts to Dejah Thoris, ringwraiths and the Bene Gesserit. It has a man without a face (Sapphire and Steel? Dr. Doom?). Its title leaves you in no doubt the protagonist dies.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao: the book I thought I would never finish, because my breath would catch in my throat after every chapter, so much that I needed to tuck the book away under a pillow, or another book. To be able to write like that, sinverguencería jamming with The Watchmen, platanos maduros con nerdery and unwanted virginity – what a gift.