The increasing interest in narrative theory as a focus of inquiry across multiple disciplines makes it imperative for scholars, teachers, and students to have access to an in-depth reference that cuts across disciplinary specializations to provide information about the core concepts, categories, distinctions, and technical nomenclatures that have grown up around the study of narrative in all of its guises. The Routledge Encyclopedia of Narrative Theory answers that need, providing a comprehensive and authoritative resource for students and researchers in the many disciplines drawing on concepts of storytelling and using methods of narrative analysis. In addition to providing ample coverage of structuralist models and of the frameworks developed for the study of literary narratives, this reference also seeks to give a broad overview of paradigms for analyzing stories across a variety of media and genres - from film, television, opera, and digital environments, to gossip, sports broadcasts, comics and graphic novels, obituaries, and many more. The entries cover the history of the field, key terms and concepts, various schools and approaches, important debates, and a wide range of disciplinary contexts related to the field. Featuring extensive cross-references and suggestions for further reading, this Encyclopedia is invaluable for students and researchers in many fields, from literary studies, gender studies, and philosophy, to cognitive and social psychology, media studies, Artificial Intelligence, and the study of organizations, medicine, jurisprudence, and history. Key features include: * comprehensive and truly interdisciplinary coverage, examining narrative issues across disciplines, media, genres, and cultural contexts * written by an international team of over 200 experts in from all over the world * extensively cross-referenced and indexed * authoritative and up-to-date bibliographies and suggestions for further reading.