The full title of Unfinished Tales is the  Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth. These are  a collection of stories and essays by J. R. R. Tolkien that were never published during his lifetime. However, they were edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and published in 1980 and were a commercial success, indicating the demand for books by J. R. R. Tolkien .

Unlike other fiction written by J. R. R. Tolkien, there are few modifications in the content of  Unfinished Tales . The only changes are that the names of the characters have changed for consistency. The compilation consists of incomplete stories, and others are collections of “factual” information about Middle-earth. Each tale includes a long series of notes explaining inconsistencies and obscure points.