Downward to the Earth
It is a tale of the quest for transcendence ( a frequent Silverberg theme ) set on another planet , and includes references to "Heart of Darkness" , Joseph Conrad's classic tale of colonialism , including the name of Kurtz . 
<triplet> Heart of Darkness <subj> Joseph Conrad <obj> author <triplet> Joseph Conrad <subj> Heart of Darkness <obj> notable work <triplet> Kurtz <subj> Joseph Conrad <obj> creator