History Main / PosthumousCollaboration

* Creator/{{Euripides}}' last three plays--''The Bacchae', ''Iphigenia in Aulis'' and (probably) ''Alcmaeon in Corinth''--were produced posthumously by his son (or possibly nephew) in Athens in 405 BC, and the prize was awarded posthumously to Euripides.

* Before Robert L. May passed away in 1976, he wrote a third story starring ''Literature/RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer'' called ''Rudolph's Second Christmas'' [[note]] Later known as ''Rudolph to The Rescue'' [[/note]]. May written manuscripts for the story in 1947 but decided not to publish it, instead he released "Rudolph Shines Again" in 1954. "Rudolph's Second Christmas" wouldn't get published until Montgomery Ward and May's daughters discovered a manuscript of the story in 1991 and published the story in 1992. Due to Denver Gillen (the original illustrator) no longer being alive, Michael Emberley was brought in to illustrate the story. When it was renamed ''Rudolph to the Rescue'' in 2006 (to avoid confusion with the official sequel "Rudolph Shines Again" from 1954), it was illustrated by Lisa Papp.

* Before Robert L. May passed away in 1976, he wrote a third story starring ''Literature/RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer'' called ''Rudolph's Second Christmas'' [[note]] Later known as ''Rudolph to The Rescue'' [[/note]] which didn't get published until Montgomery Ward and May's daughters discovered a manuscript of the story in 1991 and published in 1992. Due to Denver Gillen (the original illustrator) no longer being alive, Michael Emberley was brought in to illustrate the story. When it was renamed ''Rudolph to the Rescue'' in 2006, it was illustrated by Lisa Papp.

[[DiedDuringProduction Deaths during production]] can be a sad thing. When a [[AuthorExistenceFailure famous author dies]] and they leave only partly-completed works, never to be finished or seen by the general public.

[[DiedDuringProduction Deaths during production]] can be a sad thing. When a famous author dies and they leave only partly-completed works, never to be finished or seen by the general public.

* [[https://fanfiction.net/u/2615262/ SoulSonicResonace25]], well-known for his ''Anime/{{Naruto}}'' crossover stories was shot dead in 2015. His brother [=KingSora3=] has announced since that he had taken over his account and continued some of his stories, including unpublished ones while rewriting others and leaving some up to adoption.

* Before Robert L. May passed away in 1976, he wrote a third story starring ''Literature/RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer'' called ''Rudolph's Second Christmas'' [[note]] Later known as ''Rudolph to The Rescue'' [[/note]] which didn't get published until Montgomery Ward and May's daughter discovered a manuscript of the story in 1991 and published in 1992. Due to Denver Gillen (the original illustrator) no longer being alive, Michael Emberley was brought in to illustrate the story. When it was renamed ''Rudolph to the Rescue'' in 2006, it was illustrated by Lisa Papp.

* Before Robert L. May passed away in 1976, he wrote a third story starring ''Literature/RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer'' called ''Rudolph's Second Christmas'' [[note]] Later known as ''Rudolph to The Rescue'' [[/note]] which didn't get published until Montgomery Ward discovered the story in 1991. Due to Denver Gillen (the original illustrator) no longer being alive, Michael Emberley was brought in to illustrate the story. When it was renamed ''Rudolph to the Rescue'' in 2006, it was illustrated by Lisa Papp.

The new author may have been close to the original one, or even helped with the work while the original author was alive, or just working off some discovered notes on what the original author had planned, but what's important is that the work has to have already been started by the original author before their passing; it doesn't count if someone just creates a brand new work using the dead author's characters or universe.

* [[https://fanfiction.net/u/2615262/ SoulSonicResonace25]], well-known for his ''Anime/{{Naruto}}'' crossover stories was shot dead in 2015. His brother [=KingSora3=] has announced since that he had taken over his account and continued some of his stories, including unpublished ones, while rewriting others and leaving some up to adoption.

* ''Film/AfterTheRain'' was written by Creator/AkiraKurosawa, who was planning on directing it; after his death Koizumi Takashi took over.
* A variation of this occurred with ''Film/TheImaginariumOfDoctorParnassus''. Creator/HeathLedger passed away during filming, so Creator/JohnnyDepp, Creator/JudeLaw and Colin Farrell stepped in to play the same role and help finish the film.

* Creator/EBWhite, up until his death, kept adding to and revising William Strunk's ''The Elements of Style'', to the point where he was even credited as a co-author. Now since White's own death other editors have been doing the same, uncredited.

* Before Robert L. May passed away in 1976, he wrote a third story starring ''Literature/RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer'' called ''Rudolph's Second Christmas'' [[note]] Later known as ''Rudolph to The Rescue'' [[/note]] which didn't get published until Montgomery Ward discovered the story in 1991. Due to Denver Gillen (the original illustrator) no longer being alive, Michael Emberley was brought in to illustrate the story. When it was renamed to ''Rudolph to the Rescue'' in 2006, it was illustrated by Lisa Papp.

* A rare example of a trope being prepared for well in advance occurs with ''Series/GameOfThrones''. In 2013, George R.R. Martin, author of the book series upon which it was based, indicated that he'd briefed the showrunners of the series regarding his planned ending of the novel cycle, in order to allow the producers to both plan ahead, and also continue the story should Martin [[DiedDuringProduction be unable to complete the novels]].

* Posthumous Music/JohnLennon work. His widow Yoko Ono took the 1980 recordings that were unfinished as of Lennon's death, mixed them, and released them with her own songs as the Lennon-Ono album ''Milk and Honey''. Later, when Lennon's old band mates in Music/TheBeatles were compiling ''Music/TheBeatlesAnthology'' in the 1990s, they took two old Lennon demos ("Free as a Bird" and "Real Love"), added instrumental backing and additional vocals, and released them as "new" Beatles songs.

** As well as quite a few nostalgia-oriented Christmas songs from the TurnOfTheMillennium[=/=]TheNewTens onwards, including "The Christmas Song" also by by Music/NatKingCole [-and Natalie Cole-], "White Christmas" by Music/BingCrosby [-and Music/MichaelBuble-], "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" by Ella Fitzgerald [-and Music/RodStewart-], "O Come All Ye Faithful" by Music/ElvisPresley [-and [[Series/BritainsGotTalent Susan Boyle]]-], and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Music/FrankSinatra [-and Music/KylieMinogue-]. There seems to be at least one such collab every year.
** Speaking of Elvis, there's the 2008 album ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Duets Christmas Duets]]'', in which his vocals are mixed with those of younger country and contemporary Christian artists, including Music/CarrieUnderwood, Music/MartinaMcBride and Amy Grant. [[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7gx9p_elvis-and-martina-mcbride-blue-chri_music The music video for the "Blue Christmas" cover]] digitally inserts [=McBride=] into a PerformanceVideo of Presley singing the song live - the only known video footage of him performing a Christmas song.

* Yo Yo Ma's venture into tango music includes a track on which he "collaborates" with deceased tango legend Astor Piazzolla using preexisting recordings.

* Speaking of Music/TheNotoriousBIG , all of his posthumous albums (except Life After Death, completed when he was still alive) counts, since they are mostly put together using unreleased (or sometimes already released) content.

* In 2014, Music/BarryManilow released an entire album of these, entitled ''My Dream Duets''. Its lead single is a version of "[[Film/CasinoRoyale1967 The Look Of Love]]" [-with Dusty Springfield-], other artists featured include Music/WhitneyHouston, Sammy Davis Jr., John Denver and Music/LouisArmstrong.

* An odd subversion is ''Music/BrianJonesPresentsThePipesOfPanAtJajouka'', an album that was recorded by Music/BrianJones (Music/TheRollingStones) as a SoloSideProject but was unfinished when he suddenly died. As a result this 1968 recording was only made available to the public in 1971. And even then it's not really a collaboration. It was merely produced by him, but doesn't feature him on vocals or instruments at all - it's actually just an album by the Master Musicians of Jajouka, a Moroccan folk group, with Jones' name tacked onto it for sales purposes.

* Music/JDilla died in 2006, leaving his third solo album ''The Shining'' only 75% complete. He saw it coming, and tasked beforehand his close collaborator Karriem Riggins to finish the album, which was released months after Dilla's death.

** Since this is Dilla we're talking about, he appears in tons of others artists' albums way after his death. Highlights includes his former group Slum Village's 2013 Villa Manifesto and 2016 YES! albums (both also features posthumous appearances of Baatin, another Slum Village member) , his little brother Illa J's 2008 debut "Yancey Boys" (entirely produced by Dilla), and group Yancey Boys' (Illa J and Frank Nitt) Sunset Blvd. album (entirely produced by Dilla, again).

* Music/{{Nujabes}} collaborated with [=Shing02=] to make a series of songs, titled Luv [sic]. Parts 1, 2 and 3 were released when Nujabes was still alive. But his unfortunate death left the series appearing to be unfinished. Fortunately, parts 4 and 5 were completed while Nujabes was still alive and [=Shing02=] had to complete the last one by himself, with only a beat (intended to be the last Luv [sic] song) found on Nujabes' phone.
* {{Music/Big L}}'s second album, ''The Big Picture'', was unfinished when he was shot down in 1999, and was completed by his manager Rich King before being released in 2000. Several songs were recorded after L's death, such as "Platinum Plus" (featuring Big Daddy Kane) and "Fall Back" (featuring Kool G Rap). There's also a posthumous Music/TupacShakur verse on "Deadly Combination".

AuthorExistenceFailure can be a sad thing. When a famous author dies and they leave only partly-completed works, never to be finished or seen by the general public.

* A rare example of a trope being prepared for well in advance occurs with ''Series/GameOfThrones''. In 2013, George R.R. Martin, author of the book series upon which it was based, indicated that he'd briefed the showrunners of the series regarding his planned ending of the novel cycle, in order to allow the producers to both plan ahead, and also continue the story should Martin [[AuthorExistenceFailure be unable to complete the novels]].

* Music/BobMarley's "Sun Is Shining", obscure during his lifetime, received a boost in recognition two decades after his death with a disco-house update by Funkstar De Luxe, who also remixed "Rainbow Country", The same year, Marley posthumously dueted with daughter-in-law Music/LaurynHill on a remastered version of "Turn Your Lights Down Low".

* ''The Double Tower''; ''Prince Alcouz and the Magician''; ''The Scroll of Morloc''; ''The Descent into the Abyss'': LinCarter [-and Creator/ClarkAshtonSmith-]

** "Hold My Hand", [-featuring Akon-], was Michael's last known song before his death.

* Averted in the case of Creator/TerryPratchett, who requested in his will that the hard drive containing his unfinished works be flattened by a steamroller so that nobody could do this. This was carried out by his long-time assistant [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-41093066 in August 2017]]

* Music/BobMarley's "Sun Is Shining", obscure during his lifetime, received a boost in recognition two decades after his death with a disco-house update by Funkstar Deluxe, who also remixed "Rainbow Country", The same year, Marley posthumously dueted with daughter-in-law Music/LaurynHill on a remastered version of "Turn Your Lights Down Low".

* Music/BobMarley's "The Sun Is Shining", obscure during his lifetime, received a boost in recognition two decades after his death with a disco-house update by Funkstar Deluxe, who also remixed "Rainbow Country". In addition, Marley posthumously dueted with Music/LaurynHill on the 1999 remaster of "Turn The Lights Down Low".

* Music/BobMarley's "The Sun Is Shining", obscure during his lifetime, received a boost in recognition two decades after his death with a disco-house update by Funkstar Deluxe, who also remixed "Rainbow Country".

->''"...if [Creator/GeorgeRRMartin] dies early, Hollywood will pay somebody a lot of money to finish the books from his notes. Probably Brandon Sanderson or Kevin Anderson or someone whose name rhymes with either of them. If you’re a fantasy writer looking to make it in the big leagues finishing other peoples’ work, you could do worse than to change your name to 'Ganderson.'"''

* Music/MilesDavis' ''DooBop'' became this due to Miles dying midway through the recording sessions. Producer Easy Mo Bee finished the album by creating two tracks from some of Miles' unreleased recording sessions.

** When Michael was alive, his 2001 recording ''Music/{{Invincible}}'' featured posthumous vocals from other people: "Unbreakable" has a guest vocal from Music/TheNotoriousBIG (whose verse was taken from Shaquille O'Neal's "You Can't Stop The Reign"), and Creator/RodSerling also made an appearance via audio from ''Series/TheTwilightZone''.

* Before Robert L. May passed away in 1976, he wrote two follow up stories starring ''Literature/RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer'' called ''Rudolph Shines Again'' [[note]] Previously called ''Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Shines Again'' [[/note]] and ''Rudolph's Second Christmas'' [[note]] Later known as ''Rudolph to The Rescue'' [[/note]] which both didn't get published until Montgomery Ward discovered both stories between 1982 and 1991 . Due to Denver Gillen (the original illustrator) no longer being alive, ''Rudolph Shines Again'' was illustrated by Darrell Baker. The story later gained new illustrations by Antonio Caparo in 2015 alongside [[RhymesOnADime text that's more accurate to the original story's rhyming scheme.]] When ''Rudolph's Second Christmas'' was first published in 1991, it was illustrated by Michael Emberley. When it was renamed to ''Rudolph to the Rescue'' in 2006, it was illustrated by Lisa Papp.