The past several decades have seen an explosion of interest in narrative, with this multifaceted object of inquiry becoming a central concern in a wide range of disciplinary fields and research contexts. As accounts of what happened to particular people in particular circumstances and with specific consequences, stories have come to be viewed as a basic human strategy for coming to terms with time, process, and change. However, the very predominance of narrative as a focus of interest across multiple disciplines makes it imperative for scholars, teachers, and students to have access to a comprehensive reference resource. Consultant editors: F.R. Ankersmit, Groningen University, The Netherlands; Mieke Bal, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Charles L. Briggs, University of California, San Diego, USA; Monika F