In his short fiction, Conrad sought to explore the themes of betrayal, fear, and hope. This collection includes some of his greatest works, including Karain (subtitled A Memory), The Lagoon, (his first short story, which was an outgrowth of his novel ALMAYERS FOLLY), An Outpost of Progress (which has, according to Conrad, a very different atmosphere from The Lagoon), The Idiots (which Conrad considers obviously derivative and refuses to comment on), and The Return (which Conrad dismisses as a left-handed attempt).