They had behind them, to my mind, the terrific suggestiveness of words heard in dreams, of phrases spoken in nightmares." Conrad's turn of the century novel, "Heart of Darkness", has been ranked by the Modern Library as one of the top 100 novels of the twentieth century. His themes powerfully explore the accepted imperialistic attitudes of the time, pivoting civilization against and savagery and exposing the rampant racism prevalent in 19th century colonialism. Since its first publication in Blackwood's magazine in 1899, it has become one of the most studied works of modern literature.