James Dashner is the author of the Maze Runner trilogy. His prequel to the series, “The Kill Order,” will be released Aug. 14. Below is a complete transcript of his interview with Cracking the Cover.
Why did you decide to write a prequel?
I knew from the very first stages of planning this series that it would lend itself nicely to a prequel. The whole magic of the series was based on figuring out the pieces, along with Thomas, as he went through the story. So I thought, when it’s over, a prequel would be a lot of fun.
Did you always have a plan to write one?
I’d always planned it, but the subject matter actually changed quite a bit. At first I thought I would write about Thomas and Teresa again, but we decided that story had been told well enough. So instead we chose to go back and show how the world got in the terrible shape that made the events of the trilogy necessary in the first place.
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ith “Kill Order” you were writing the backstory to the Maze Runner series. How did that writing process differ from the whole series?
It was very different because Thomas was no longer my main character. It was fun getting to know new characters and developing them. Their environment was also very different, as was their state of mind. All in all it was like writing in a different world.
Sometimes there’s a fan backlash when prequels are released. Is that a concern?
I’m not worried about a backlash at all. I think any fan of the trilogy is going to read this story and be very satisfied, and feel complete.
What excites you the most about “The Kill Order”?
I’m most excited about my fans seeing, firsthand, all the terrible things hinted at in the three books of the trilogy.
Is this the final final book in the Maze Runner world?
I’ve learned to never say never, but for now, I feel like I’ve explored this version of our world enough. I’m excited to move on to new things.