Stieg Larsson's early stories found

Several unpublished manuscripts by Stieg Larsson, the Swedish crime author who wrote The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, have surfaced in Stockholm, according to Sweden's National Library.

The science fiction stories, written about 1970 when Larsson was just 17, were sent to a periodical called the Jules Verne Magazine, but never published.

Larsson's Millennium trilogy, including The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, is a global hit, selling more than 25 million copies.

The first book, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, has been adapted for film in Sweden and a Hollywood remake is in the works.

But Larsson died in 2004 at age 50 of a heart attack and never had the chance to enjoy his literary success. He worked as a journalist during his life and manuscripts of the three novels were published after his death.

Swedish National Library spokeswoman Haken Farje said the library received the unpublished manuscripts as a donation, but she knew no details of the stories.

Whether the works are published would be up to Larsson's estate-holders — his father and brother.