Wasn’t it Terry Pr⍺tchett who specifically put in his will that all of his unfinished works (on hard drives) were to be crushed with a steamroller?
People were so upset about that and I understand why, but creators are so dehumanized and treated as entertainment machines, I think being able to release or withhold your work on your own terms is so important.
I still feel really weird knowing that Kafka’s writings were released against his wishes after he died. I can’t even say it wasn’t a net positive, and I know he’s long dead so it doesn’t really affect him, but it feels like people don’t want artists or writers to be able to keep anything to themselves. We’re not only entitled to everything they’ve already made, but everything they could potentially make. How many times have you heard people say “we were robbed” because a standalone work didn’t get a sequel, or a TV show didn’t get a dozen redundant seasons? Like if we like someone’s work, we’re owed more of it.
People were so upset about that and I understand why, but creators are so dehumanized and treated as entertainment machines, I think being able to release or withhold your work on your own terms is so important.
I still feel really weird knowing that Kafka’s writings were released against his wishes after he died. I can’t even say it wasn’t a net positive, and I know he’s long dead so it doesn’t really affect him, but it feels like people don’t want artists or writers to be able to keep anything to themselves. We’re not only entitled to everything they’ve already made, but everything they could potentially make. How many times have you heard people say “we were robbed” because a standalone work didn’t get a sequel, or a TV show didn’t get a dozen redundant seasons? Like if we like someone’s work, we’re owed more of it.