The Rime of the Ancient Mariner has been referenced in various works of popular culture.
Literature
In Anne Rice's novel Interview with the Vampire, Louis de Pointe du Lac quoted these lines when referring to Claudia: "Her lips were red, her looks were free, Her locks were yellow as gold: Her skin was as white as leprosy, The Night-mare LIFE-IN-DEATH was she, Who thicks man's blood with cold". The poem features prominently in Douglas Adams's novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, in which the title character time travels to interrupt Coleridge's work on his poem "Kubla Khan". During a rambling dialogue intended to prevent Coleridge from unintentionally encoding in the poem information that could lead to the destruction of the human race, Dirk Gently's references to "Albert Ross", another character in the novel, are misheard as "albatross", which Coleridge says might be an idea for another poem he is working on and superior to a previous idea involving a meteor striking the Earth. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, chapter 5, Victor Frankenstein quotes the lines: "Like one, that on a lonesome road / Doth walk in fear and dread / And, having once turned round, walks on / And turns no more his head / Because he knows a frightful fiend / Doth close behind him tread" (Penguin Popular Classic 1968 page 57, cited from Rime, 1817 edition). In the book's opening letters from Robert Walton to his sister, specifically Letter II, Walton explicitly mentions the poem by name and claims he "shall kill no albatross" on his journey. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's Watchmen includes a story within a story "Tales of the Black Freighter", which bears similarities to the poem through its supernatural themes and the tale of a mariner's impending doom. P. G. Wodehouse's short story "Ukridge’s Dog College" in Ukridge quotes the final lines of part 6. P. G. Wodehouse’s short story ‘’Uneasy Money’’ quotes the first few lines of the poem. Tui T. Sutherland's epic dragon fantasy series Wings of Fire features the character Albatross, who was directly inspired by the bird of the same name in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Additionally, fans and reviewers alike have noted parallels between Coleridge's poem and the psychological conditions of animus magic in the series' second arc (Books 6-10) and first special edition (Darkstalker). In Cassandra Clare's novel Clockwork Prince, second in The Infernal Devices series of The Shadowhunter Chronicles, Will Herondale makes several humorous references to the poem, due to the resemblance of an elderly, white-bearded coachman to the Ancient Mariner.
Games
In the online computer game Guild Wars, the opening lines of NPC Samti Kohlreg's dialogue and the name of his quest reference the poem and the author. In its sequel, Guild Wars 2, the name of the item Rime-Rimmed Mariner's Rebreather is a reference to the poem. In the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering, the flavor texts of the cards Scathe Zombies, Wall of Ice and Will-o'-the-Wisp (all from the Limited Edition Alpha set) are quotes from the poem. The My Little Pony MMORPG Legends of Equestria has a quest called "Rhyme of the Ancient Aviator." The eponymous pony is a grizzled pegasus who tells the player his backstory in the form of a lengthy ballad strongly inspired by the events of Coleridge's poem. In the online browser-based game Fallen London, the player character can experience three sequences of dreams loosely based on the poem: "I Shot the Albatross", "Betwixt Us and the Sun" and "Upon a Painted Sea". In the video game Stardew Valley, the player can purchase the Mermaid's Pendant, a marriage token, from the Old Mariner.