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RE: 10 Unfinished Works by Terry Pratchett - Crushed!?!
It is understandably disappointing to lose these works. Indeed, many of the great authors in history wallowed in obscurity until after their deaths. Some of them, like Pratchett, even requested that their works be destroyed after their deaths (like Franz Kafka, one of my favorite authors). Thankfully, in Kafka's case, and in the case of others, their works weren't destroyed and went on to inspire millions of people. It is, however, worthy of recognizing the wishes of the author. One need look no farther than the "Dune" series. Many (myself included) think that Frank Herbert's son took his unfinished works and did him an injustice.
Its a difficult question to address.
Well, the wrong literary executor could do a lot of damage to an author's legacy. Unfortunately, that could be a child, as in the case of Dune. And I know JRR Tolkein's son Christopher has made it his life's work to release bits and pieces of his father's archives over the years, usually in unedited, fragmented state. (Being an author's kid doesn't seem to make you the best choice of literary executor, but who else are you gonna pick at the end of your life?)
You're right, it's complicated. But in the case of truly great writers, I'd rather have a mess to discuss and analyze, than a pile of ashes to mourn and regret.
As a fan of great writing, I agree I'd rather that potential writings be saved. As a writer, however, I can understand the idea of wanting to be in control of your own legacy, rather than having it blurred by others who posthumously collaborate without your consent or input. In this case, I both applaud the effort of Pratchett's friends to fulfill his promise and a bit sad that Pratchett's unfinished works are now forever lost (or at least until they can figure out how to extract them from the shards of that drive).