Increasingly a body of critical thought is developing that addresses the techniques, ideology and appeal of those texts with the most extensive readership and box-office appeal. In this sourcebook Ashley collects examples of the prominent studies of popular narrative. The selections seek to introduce the reader to the important issues and problems - how to define the "popular" text, the complex relationship between a text and its readers or viewers, the range of popular genres and the principal critical approaches of critics and theorists. These disparate and frequently competing readings debate the issues theoretically and offer close analyses of such popular genres as thrillers, horror, romances, westerns, and science fiction.