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References in other works

• In Peter Straub's short story "A Short Guide to the City" Irish children encounter an old winged man who speaks in an unfamiliar language; Straub included this as homage to Marquez's famous story.

• The Simpsons episode "Lisa the Skeptic" shares the plot element of an angel that appears (although it is supposedly dead) and is put on display by a character for paying visitors.

• The music video of Losing My Religion by R.E.M. was inspired by this short-story. It was directed by Tarsem Singh and used some images related to the story. It deals as a subtext with the lost faith.

• The Greek song of "Kathreftis" by the Cypriot Alkinoos Ioannidis was also inspired of this story. The Greek word kathreftis means "mirror", because the Tarantula woman says, in the chorus of the song: "Never look into other's eyes, because you'll become a mirror and they will break you into pieces"

• Susanna Hoffs and Mark Linkous wrote a song, "Enormous Wings", based on the short story; it appears on Hoffs' self-titled second solo album.

• Director Fernando Birn and Gabriel García Márquez wrote a screenplay adaptation in Spanish that is available with English subtitles, Un Señor muy viejo con unas alas enormes, 1991.

• Tropic of Orange by Karen Tei Yamashita includes references to Gabriel García Márquez and allusions to "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings."

• The book Skellig was heavily influenced by the story, and follows a similar plot. David Almond admitted that he was influenced by the story.