Written by Joseph Conrad in 1899, the story is loosely based upon his own experiences as the captain of a steamer on the Congo River in Africa.

Whilst not really an adventure story as such, it is a story of greed and insanity, full of hidden meanings and complex twists in the plot. It is widely considered to be one of the most intricate works of literature ever written.

The tale begins with the introduction of a steamer captain called Marlowe who is employed by an English trading company, and who is sent to the Congo to travel up river, visiting the traders and bartering for ivory with the locals. 

He soon begins to hear stories about another trader employed by the same Company as himself, named Kurtz, and is given the order to find and recover the man, and secure the inner trading post.