Stories are perceived as central to modern life. Not only in narrative entertainment media, such as television, cinema, theater, but also in social media. Telling/having "a story" is widely deemed essential, in business as well as in social life. Does this mark an intensification of what has always been part of human cultures; or has the realm of "story" expanded to dominate twenty-first century discourse? Addressing stories is an obvious priority for the Key Debates series, and Volume 7, edited by Ian Christie and Annie van den Oever, identifies new phenomena in this field — complex narration, puzzle films, transmedia storytelling — as well as new approaches to understanding these, within narratology and bio-cultural studies. Chapters on such extended television series as Twin Peaks, Game of Thrones and Dickensian explore distinctively new forms of screen storytelling in the digital age.With contributions by Vincent Amiel, Jan Baetens, Dominique Chateau, Ian Christie, John Ellis, Miklós Kiss, Eric de Kuyper, Sandra Laugier, Luke McKernan, José Moure, Roger Odin, Annie van den Oever, Melanie Schiller, Steven Willemsen, Robert Ziegler.

Ian Christie, Professor at Birkbeck College, London. He published numerous books and edited (among many other titles), Audiences, the third volume in the Key Debates series.Annie van den Oever, Extraordinary Professor for Film and Visual Media, University of the Free State; University of Groningen. Series editor of The Key Debates.

EditorialAcknowledgmentsScreen Narrative in the Digital Era Ian Christe and Annie van den Oever PART I Theory in Contemporary Contexts: Reassessing Key QuestionsStories and Storytelling in the Era of Graphic NarrativeJan Baetens Rediscovering Iconographic Storytelling Vincent AmielWallowing in Dissonance. The Attractiveness of Impossible Puzzle FilmsMiklós Kiss and Steven Willemsen "Storification"; or, What Do We Want Psychology and Physiology to Tell Us About Stories? Ian Christie Transmedia Storytelling. New Practices and AudiencesMelanie Schiller PART II History and AnalysesThe Endless Endings of Michelangelo Antonioni's Films José MoureThe Film that Dreams. About David Lynch's TWIN PEAKS Season 3Dominique ChateauSpoilers, Twists and Dragons. Popular Narrative After GAME OF THRONESSandra Laugier PART III DiscussionsStorytelling and Mainstream Television TodayJohn Ellis and Annie van den Oever The Single Shot, Narration and Creativity in the Space of Everyday Communication Roger OdinPART IV Practicalities Rewriting Proust. Working with Chantal Akerman on LA CAPTIVE: A ConversationEric de Kuyper and Annie van den OeverIntroduction to DICKENSIAN: an Intertextual Universe? Ian Christie The Lives of the Characters in DICKENSIANLuke McKernan Music Structuring Narrative. A Dialogue Robert Ziegler and Ian ChristieNotes on ContributorsIndex of NamesIndex of Film Titles