Heart of Darkness
Heart of Darkness (1899) is a novella by Polish-English novelist Joseph Conrad about a narrated voyage up the Congo River into the Congo Free State in the so-called "heart of Africa". Charles Marlow, the narrator, tells his story to friends aboard a boat anchored on the River Thames. This setting provides the frame for Marlow's story of his obsession with the ivory trader Kurtz, which enables Conrad to create a parallel between what Conrad calls "the greatest town on earth", London, and Africa as places of darkness.
Alone in the Dark
Edward Carnby is the main protagonist of the series, and is a private detective. In the first three games, he is depicted as a middle-aged private investigator during the 1920s. "The New Nightmare" depicts him as a younger adult in 2001. In the 2008 installment of the series, Carnby's appearance was drastically changed. He has been the main protagonist in every game to date, with the exception of the mini game, "Jack in the Dark", which instead features Grace Saunders, a character who appears in "Alone in the Dark 2". He is also the main character in two movies loosely based upon the games.