Interview with James Dashner!

YABC recently got the chance to interview James Dashner, author of THE MAZE RUNNER series. Check out his answers to our questions below!

MG: Hello, James! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for our readers at Young Adult Books Central!

First, tell us what sparked your inspiration for The Maze Runner series.

James: I think three things fed into my inspiration for these books: Ender's Game, Lord of the Flies, and the TV show Lost.


MG: Was your writing process for the sequel, The Scorch Trials, different than that of The Maze Runner?

James: Sequels are always very different. You are limited by the rules and everything else you've set up in the first book, so you have to be very careful. Even little things like mannerisms of characters can get you. Another hard thing: when you wrote that first book, you did everything in your power to make it great. And suddenly, you have to top that. You always have to top what's come before.


MG: What made you decide to write for young adults?

James: That's basically when I fell in love with reading, and it's fun to go back to it.


MG: What are some of your favorite sci-fi/dystopian novels, films, and television series?

James: I love The Giver, the old Road Warrior movies, 1984, and The Matrix trilogy, to name a few.


MG: Which books or authors have inspired your craft?

James: I'd say Stephen King and Dean Koontz more than anyone else.


MG: What is your must-have writing snack/beverage?

James: Nuts. Any kind of nuts.


MG: What book would we find on your bedside table right now?

James: I'm reading Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes.


MG: How is your final book in The Maze Runner trilogy, The Death Cure, coming along?

James: Very well. We're deep into revisions, so it's well on track to come out this fall.


MG: Can you tell us anything about the upcoming The Maze Runner film? Will you be involved in the production in any way?

James: I honestly know almost nothing, and it's not even really official yet. But there are numerous sites out there that report they have a director and a screenwriter committed to the film, at 20th Century Fox. Fingers crossed!


MG: What's next for James Dashner after The Maze Runner trilogy?

James: I have some exciting things coming down the pipeline, but, of course, I can't talk about them yet! There should be announcements soon....


MG: And last but not least, since becoming a published author, what has been your biggest SQUEE! moment?

James: My biggest moment was definitely the first time we hit the NY Times Bestseller list. There's just something so symbolic about that, and it was the fulfillment of years and years of work. I cried. Yes, I cried. And so did my wife and my mom! :)


Thanks so much, James! We're really looking forward to The Death Cure!

And if you haven't read The Maze Runner or The Scorch Trials, check out the book trailers below: