The Vietnam War movie Apocalypse Now probably stands as the great epic about American imperialism. It’s based closely on an older tale about what happens when powerful intruders bring their ideas about civilization to a foreign land: Joseph Conrad‘s 1899 novel Heart of Darkness. The book is set in an unnamed colony in Africa that is a lot like the Congo Free State, the Belgian-run human rights disaster. Brad Tytel found out why the book still ignites passions. Selections from Conrad are read by John Boyle.