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Some books I think fall into a grey area. Billy Budd by Herman Melville for example. He died in 1891 but Billy Budd wasn't published til 1924 when someone found it, completed it and saw it published (according to Wikipedia). On the one hand it was a book by Melville, but due to him having not had it published in his lifetime it's still under copyright though it was (mostly) written before 1900. Most books aren't in such a grey area as Melville's book as far as copyright goes though I don't think. It's nice to have a complete set of a favorite writer's works, and if he/she had a book completed but not yet published at their time of death I think the option should be there to have the MS published if their family wishes. And sometimes books can be considered as collectible by the readers as well. Like J.R.R. Tolkien's "Unfinished Tales" books for example. They show the development of what became LOTR and some readers like to explore the evolution of such a volume. Of course the final say comes down to the author's family and the publishers. If either one says "no" then nothing will happen.
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