James Smith Dashner (born Nov 26, 1972) is an American writer of speculative fiction, primarily series for children or young adults, such as The Maze Runner series and the young adult fantasy series the 13th Reality. His 2008 novel The Journal of Curious Letters, first in the series, was one of the annual Borders Original Voices picks. The Maze Runner, his most widely distributed book, reached 100 weeks' standing on the New York Times Best Seller list for Children's Series on September 21, 2014, two days after the release of the motion picture adaptation of the book. Less