Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
He could have done, but do you really think that PG would have done as good a job? I don't. It really needed someone with the decades-long knowledge of Tolkien's work which Christopher has, to my mind.
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...and knowledge of Tolkien's personality, goals, and tastes. Tolkien didn't write just to spin a tale, he had specific literary goals in mind. There's a clear benefit to an editor/co-author with insight into authorial intent.
Very different situation from an estate hellbent on monetizing the legacy at all costs.
The Tolkiens are a rare case, though.
So is the ERB operation, where Burroughs personally set up the corporation and its guidelines while still an active author. No question there of whose wishes are being followed. And they too have been careful with both licensing and posthumous works.
A better example might be the Conan Doyle estate or the Fleming estate which both aggresively work to exploit the IP but also try to protect the author's name and legacy. So far the Lee estate has only shown the first part.