James Dashner

In 2018, Dashner was dropped by his agent, Michael Bourret, and by his publisher, Penguin Random House, following accusations of sexual harassment; Dashner replied in a statement, "I am taking any and all criticisms and accusations very seriously, and I will seek counseling and guidance to address them."

In February 2018, comments were posted anonymously on the School Library Journal website, alleging that Dashner had engaged in sexual harassment. Four comments claimed harassment by Dashner, and two more said that they had reported him in a Medium survey about harassment. A commenter later claimed to have been one of the accusers, and said that they "made it up". One of those commenters claimed to have been subject to "months of manipulation, grooming and gaslighting".

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.

James Smith Dashner (born November 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.

James Dashner was born on November 26, 1972 in Austell, Georgia, as one of six children in the family. He was raised a Mormon. At the age of 10, he would type on his parents' typewriter. He graduated from Duluth High School in 1991. He moved from Atlanta, Georgia to Provo, Utah to study at Brigham Young University, where he received a master's degree in accounting. Dashner and his wife, Lynette Anderson, a former student of Brigham Young University, have four children and are now living in Utah.