Heart of Darkness is based upon Joseph Conrad's own experience in the Congo; it is, as he remarks in his 1916 author's note to Youth: A Narrative and Two Other Stories, experience pushed a little (and only very little) beyond the actual facts. Unlike many other editions, this new edition of Conrad's most famous tale focuses on the time in which Conrad was himself in the Congo, while also exploring the differences between his reported experiences and their reshaping in fiction.

This edition includes an extensive selection of Conrad's correspondence and autobiographical writing, as well as contemporary accounts of the Congo from other writers. Contemporary reviews situate Heart of Darkness in its literary contexts.