The Maze Runner

For other uses, see The Maze Runner (disambiguation).

The Maze Runner

File:The Maze Runner cover.png 2009 Edition
Author	James Dashner
Cover artist	Philip Straub
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	The Maze Runner Pentalogy
Genre	Young-adult, Science fiction, Post-apocalyptic
Published	2009 (Delacorte Press)
Pages	375 (1st Edition, HC)
ISBN	978-0-385-73794-4 (1st Edition, HC)
LC Class	PZ7.D2587Maz 2009
Followed by	The Scorch Trials
Website	"James Dashner Official Website"
"All info based on 1st Edition, HC"

The Maze Runner is the first book in a young-adult post-apocalyptic dystopian science fiction trilogy of the same name by James Dashner. The novel was published on October 6, 2009, by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House, and was made into a 2014 major motion picture by 20th Century Fox. The novel spawned two sequels: The Scorch Trials (2010) and The Death Cure (2011).

Dashner also wrote a prequel to The Maze Runner, entitled The Kill Order, that was released in 2012. He also announced that another prequel, The Fever Code, is set to be released in 2016.

Plot

A boy named Thomas wakes up in a vertically moving box with no memory of his past, other than his name. When the elevator (box) doors open, he is pulled into a glade -with few trees and a wide open plain surrounded by thin forests - by a group of teenage boys who also have no memories besides their name.

Thomas gradually discovers that the Glade is run by two boys: Alby, the leader, and Newt, the second-in-charge, who both maintain order by enforcing strict rules. The elevator box surfaces the ground once every month to supply new food, sometimes weapons, and always a new boy. The Glade is surrounded squarely by a mile-high wall made of concrete. Outside the wall is the Maze, a labyrinth of high concrete walls covered in ivy. The Maze houses strange, lethal creatures known as Grievers. Grievers are described as monsters of metal and flesh and are depicted in the film directed by Wes Ball as robotic spiders designed by the organization W.I.C.K.E.D, which is an acronym for 'World in Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department' (called Wicked). The Gladers are trying to stay alive as well as "solve" the Maze by running through it as fast as they can while tracking movements of the walls and trying to find an exit to escape. Every month the box is sent up with a new person called a "greenie" and every two weeks supplies are sent.

A few days after Thomas' arrival, a girl is delivered through the elevator into the Glade with a note saying "She is the last one ever" It implies that there were to be no more children sent into the Glade. The girl subsequently lapses into a coma. When Thomas comes to visit her, he recognizes her, but can't remember her name until he hears her voice telepathically in his head telling him that her name is Teresa. Her arrival triggers everything in the Glade to change: the sun disappears, the deliveries of supplies stop coming, and the doors of the Maze stay open at night, which allows the Grievers to enter the Glade and hunt the children. Thomas proposes that the walls of the Maze aren't random, but that their movements are actually a code, leading to the discovery that the Maze is spelling out words. Thomas also discovers that the Cliff that they all thought was just a cliff turns out to be where the Grievers leave the Maze or "The Griever Hole". If they can come and go over the edge of the Cliff, then maybe so can the Gladers. This drives Thomas to think they need memories to get out, so he purposefully gets stung by a Griever so he can go through the changing. The changing is a process that begins after you get the serum called the grief serum to cure the infection from the Grievers.

Teresa, wakes up and tells Thomas that they knew each other before they were put in the Glade, and reveals that they can communicate telepathically.

Most of the Gladers decide to make a run for the exit, knowing that it could be suicide trying to take on the Grievers, but figuring that nothing could be worse than being stuck in the Glade. They succeed, only to find out that what they've been doing is an experiment being conducted by the Creators, a group called "World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experimental Department" (WICKED). Gally, one of the Gladers who always knew something was different about Thomas and hated him for it, appears at the lab to which the teenagers escape. He hadn't originally escaped with them, and he is acting as though he is being controlled. He moves to throw a knife at Thomas, but Chuck, the youngest Glader and Thomas' friend, jumps in front of it.

After briefly mourning the death of Chuck, the boys and Teresa are "rescued" by a group of people and brought to a safe haven while being told about "the Flare" — an apocalyptic occurrence that killed off half of the world's population.

The epilogue reveals that the "group" who rescued the gladers may just be another variable in the experiment, and that the Gladers weren't the only group being evaluated.

Characters

• Thomas: The protagonist. Thomas is the last boy, but not the last person to enter the Glade. The only thing he knew when he came into the glade was his name. Chuck described him as about 16 years old, average height, and brown haired. He was called Greenie as he is a new arrival. He becomes a Runner with Minho after being the first person to spend a whole night in the Maze and saves Alby when he was about to die.
• Teresa: The first girl to enter the Glade. She is thin, has black hair, blue eyes and is described as very beautiful. She is the last person who was put in the Glade. She has a telepathic connection with Thomas. She also calls Thomas "Tom." She is also known to help Thomas out of the maze and fight the grievers in the griever hole.
• Alby: The eldest and the leader of the Gladers. "The dark-skinned boy with short cropped hair, his face clean shaven," tries to keep order within the group by having all the boys follow the rules they've set down to survive. He has a very close relationship with his second-in-command, Newt. He was in the group of 30 people who first arrived in the Glade. Alby commits suicide by walking into a group of Grievers, thinking that it was better that he die there than outside the Maze.
• Newt: Newt, the first one to be actually kind to Thomas - apart from Chuck - and his friend. He is described as quite muscular and often referred to as kind-faced. Second-in-comand next to Alby and makes most of the prime decisions with him. Always describes this as "bloody". One of Thomas' cherished freinds.
• Minho: The Keeper of the Runners - in charge of navigating and mapping out the Maze. He is very sarcastic, hotheaded, sassy and impulsive, but at the same time charming, smart, and loyal towards his friends. As a Runner, he's in very good shape and is described as "an Asian kid with strong arms and short black hair." He and Thomas quickly become good friends.
• Chuck: A young and chubby boy with curly hair who was the newest Glader until Thomas arrived. He immediately becomes friends with Thomas and acts like a little brother towards him. Chuck was a "slopper". He is around 12 or 13 years old.
• Gally: A Glader who lives by the rules Alby put in place. He does not trust Thomas and shows an immense dislike for him. He is also the Keeper of the Builders. He runs away from the Glade in a fit of rage after exclaming that he thought "Thomas was not to be trusted" in The Gathering.
• Newt: A tall, strong, smart boy with medium-length blond hair and a British accent. He is noted for saying "bloody" often in his speech. He used to be a Runner, but is no longer able-footed. He is very kind, friendly, and welcoming to Thomas. His nickname for Thomas is Tommy and they end up being good friends. He is Alby's closest friend and second-in-command and takes over as leader when Alby no longer feels capable.
• Frypan: The Gladers' cook and Keeper of the Cooks. He is described as very particular, talented, and very, very hairy. Also known as "Siggy."
• Clint: One of the two Med-jacks (which are the medics). The short boy with graying black hair works closely with Jeff healing victims of the Griever's sting with the Grief Serum.
• Jeff: The taller of the two Med-jacks. He works closely with Clint healing victims of the Griever's sting with the Grief Serum.
• Winston: The Keeper of the Slicers - in charge of slaughtering livestock for food. He is described as "an acne-covered kid, short but muscular" and seems to enjoy his job a little too much.
• Zart: A big, black-haired, brooding boy. He is Keeper of the Track-hoes, who are in charge of farming. He often gives Thomas answers when no-one else bothers to tell him, making him a favourite in Thomas' eyes. Although, he is not his friend. He is often made fun of by the other Gladers.
• Ben: A Runner. After undergoing the Changing and attempting to kill Thomas, while still quite induced with the serum and still psyco, he is banished to the Maze.

Development

In late 2005, Dashner had published four books to complete The Jimmy Fincher Saga, which had been with a small regional publisher. His publisher wanted him to write another book, but he decided he would try for a national book market instead. In November of that year he had an idea when going to bed "about a bunch of teenagers living inside an unsolvable Maze full of hideous creatures, in the future, in a dark, dystopian world. It would be an experiment, to study their minds. Terrible things would be done to them. Awful things. Completely hopeless. Until the victims turn everything on its head." The book was later published in 2009. Dashner wrote the book from December 2005 to March 2006.

Reception

Kirkus Reviews wrote, "Hard to put down, this is clearly just a first installment, and it will leave readers dying to find out what comes next".

Jessica Harrison of the Deseret Morning News labeled The Maze Runner as "a thrilling adventurous book for kids ages 13+ that will get readers' hearts pumping and leave them asking for more." She noted that it "starts out a bit slow" but as it matched Thomas's confusion and picked up pace as he became more accustomed, she wrote that "it's almost as if Dashner is easing the reader into what becomes a fast-paced, nonstop action." However, she thought the "only drawback" was the "fictionalized slang", saying, "While it feels realistic and fits with his characters, it gets old pretty fast. On the plus side, however, it's used so often that the reader almost becomes desensitized and learns to ignore it."

Film adaptation

Main article: The Maze Runner (film)

Fox released a film adaptation of the book, titled The Maze Runner, on September 19, 2014. Wes Ball signed on as director and T.S. Nowlin wrote the screenplay. Dylan O'Brien played the lead role of Thomas, Thomas Brodie-Sangster portrayed Newt and Kaya Scodelario Teresa, respectively. Ki Hong Lee, Blake Cooper, Will Poulter and Aml Ameen were added to the cast as Minho, Chuck, Gally and Alby. Patricia Clarkson played the role of main antagonist Ava Paige. Dexter Darden portrayed Frypan, Alexander Flores portrayed Winston, Jacob Latimore portrayed Jeff, Randal Cunningham portrayed Clint, Chris Sheffield portrayed Ben, and Joe Adler portrayed Zart.

Wayne Haag served as an artist on the film, and Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Lindsay Williams and Lee Stollman as producers.

Creature designer Ken Barthelmey designed the Grievers for the film.

Filming started on May 13, 2013, and ended July 12, 2013.

External links

• James Dashner (author) site (official)
• The Maze Runner Book Trailer on YouTube