In 1971, the American writer Brautigan invented a postmodern culture imagery of "unpublished Works library" in the novel Abortion.

All his unpublished works on esoteric and theological matters are marked by careful learning, accurate method and extreme sobriety of statement.

More recently, a revision of the U.S. copyright Act in 1976 extended copyright protection to unpublished works and codified what constitutes "fair use."