James Smith Dashner (born November 26, 1972) is an American writer renowned for his speculative fiction. His works are predominantly targeted towards children or young adults. Dashner is most celebrated for The Maze Runner series and the young adult fantasy series The 13th Reality. The first novel in the series, The Journal of Curious Letters, published in 2008, was recognized as one of the annual Borders Original Voices picks.

In 2014, a film adaptation of The Maze Runner was released, followed by two more films in 2015 and 2018. Together, the three films grossed an estimated $949 million, making it the fourth-highest-grossing film series based on young-adult books, trailing only the film series of Harry Potter, The Twilight Saga, and The Hunger Games.

In 2018, Dashner faced allegations of sexual harassment, which led to his agent and publisher severing ties with him. In response, Dashner stated, "I am taking any and all criticisms and accusations very seriously, and I will seek counseling and guidance to address them."