James Dashner

James Dashner (born James Smith Dashner, November 26, 1972, in Austell, Georgia) is an American author of speculative fiction, best known for the young adult dystopian novel The Maze Runner and its sequels. He grew up in Georgia, graduated from Duluth High School in 1991, and later earned a master’s degree in accounting from Brigham Young University in Utah, where he subsequently worked in finance before becoming a full-time writer.

Dashner’s body of work includes several popular series for children and young adults, notably The Maze Runner series, The 13th Reality series, the Jimmy Fincher Saga, and the Mortality Doctrine series (including The Eye of Minds, The Rule of Thoughts, and The Game of Lives). The Maze Runner (Book 1), first published in 2009, launched a bestselling franchise that was adapted into a commercially successful film series, helping establish Dashner as a leading author in contemporary young adult fantasy and science fiction.