In Popular Culture
Frank Zappa, in the liner notes of the Mothers of Invention album We're Only in It for the Money, recommends reading the short story before listening to the track "The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny."
Ian Curtis of the band Joy Division was inspired by "In the Penal Colony" to write the song "Colony" from the album Closer.
The execution device is similar to the Blood Quill utilized by Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter series. The magical quill, however, writes with the blood of the user as ink, and what is written is carved onto the user's hand; scars are left with continuous use. It is considered a brutal device of torture.
Read more about this topic: In The Penal Colony
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