James Dashner
James Dashner is an author of young adult fiction. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes casually called the Mormon Church.
Dashner was born and raised in Austell, Georgia. He attended Brigham Young University. He worked as an accountant until he was able to devote full time to writing.
He is the author of Maze Runner, which was published in 2008. Maze Runner is a young-adult adventure about Thomas, a teen who awakens amid other teens in a dystopian society called the Glade. Dashner has been receiving attention from Hollywood filmmakers interested in the book.
Dashner tries "to imagine what anything and everything he creates -- characters, creatures and worlds -- would look like on a movie screen."
In early 2010, Dashner embarked on a cross-country tour to promote his latest novel, The 13th Reality: The Blade of Shattered Hope (Shadow Mountain).
The novel is the third in his series, which features a protagonist named Atticus Higginbottom, or "Tick."
In Shattered Hope, the teen is still trying to master his reality-changing powers and deal with his nemesis, the evil Mistress Jane.
Like "Maze Runner," the "13th Reality" series has already gotten quite a bit of positive press and is selling well, especially with its target audience. "These books have absolutely blown up, which is really rewarding," he said.
Dashner is already in the process of writing a sequel to Maze Runner, titled The Scorch Trials.
The success of these books has allowed Dashner to make the transition from accountant to full-time novelist, and he's "very happy to have finally arrived."
