James Dashner

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
BornJames Smith Dashner
(1972-11-26) November 26, 1972
Austell, Georgia, United States
OccupationNovelist
NationalityAmerican
Period2003–present
GenreFantasy, science fiction, children's literature
Notable worksThe 13th Reality, The Maze Runner, The Mortality Doctrine
SpouseLynette
Children4
Website
jamesdashner.com

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."[1]

Life

James Dashner was born on November 26, 1972 in Austell, Georgia, as one of six children in the family.[2] He was raised a Mormon. At the age of 10, he would type on his parents' typewriter.[3] He graduated from Duluth High School in 1991.[3] He moved from Atlanta, Georgia to Provo, Utah[3] to study at Brigham Young University, where he received a master's degree in accounting.[4] Dashner and his wife, Lynette Anderson, a former student of Brigham Young University,[3] have four children and are now living in Utah.[5]

Sexual harassment allegations

In February 2018, comments were posted anonymously on the School Library Journal website, alleging that Dashner had engaged in sexual harassment.[6] 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".[7] One of those commenters claimed to have been subject to "months of manipulation, grooming and gaslighting".[6]

Following this, Dashner's agent, Michael Bourret, stated that he "couldn't in good conscience continue working with [him]".[6] Dashner published a statement on Twitter, which said, in part:

"I didn't honor or fully understand boundaries and power dynamics. I can sincerely say that I have never intentionally hurt another person. But to those affected, I am so deeply sorry. I am taking any and all criticisms and accusations very seriously, and I will seek counseling and guidance to address them."[1]

Dashner's publisher, Penguin Random House, stated that it will not publish any further books by him.[8] The accusations were part of the larger Me Too movement.[6]

Awards

Published books

Dashner's books are written for young teens. His work is typically within the adventure, survival, and science-fiction genres.

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,[9] two days after the release of the motion picture adaptation of the book.

The Jimmy Fincher Saga
  • A Door in the Woods (2003)
  • A Gift of Ice (2004)
  • The Tower of Air (2004)
  • War of the Black Curtain (2005)
The 13th Reality series
The Maze Runner series
The Infinity Ring series[11]
  • A Mutiny in Time (Book 1) (2012)
  • The Iron Empire (Book 7) (2014)
The Mortality Doctrine

References
  1. Dashner, James (February 15, 2018). "A message from me to you..." Twitter. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  2. "Georgia Authors: James Dashner". Georgia Center for the Book. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  3. "About Dashner's Life". jdashnerdaily.com.
  4. Stettler, Jeremiah (6 Mar 2008). "Quitting his day job". Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  5. Vice, Jeff (23 April 2010). "James Dashner hits it big with series". Deseret News.
  6. Flood, Alison (16 February 2018). "Maze Runner author James Dashner dropped by US publisher amid harassment claims". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  7. Romano, Nick (15 February 2018). "Maze Runner author says he'll 'seek counseling' following misconduct claims". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  8. Cohen, Patricia; Hsu, Tiffany (February 15, 2018). "Children's Book Industry Has Its #MeToo Moment". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  9. "Best Sellers > Series Books". The New York Times Book Review. 21 September 2014.
  10. James Dashner. "Great News from Borders Bookstores". jamesdashner.com.
  11. Pavao, Kate (2012-08-02). "Q & A with James Dashner". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  12. James Dashner. "The Mortality Doctrine series". jamesdashner.com.
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