Tall and lanky, friendly and funny, Utah resident James Dashner comes across as the guy next door — which he is. Except he's the guy next door who's also written a wide range of speculative fiction series for both children and young adults. And, oh by the way, those series have repeatedly landed Dashner on the New York Times Best Seller list. Also, there's that movie deal thing he's got going on — two of his books, "Maze Runner" and "The Scorch Trials," were made into movies and released by 20th Century Fox.
Not bad for a genial father of four who traded in his day job as an accountant eight years ago.
Now on tour promoting his newest book, "The Fever Code" (Delacorte Press, $18.99), a prequel to his popular "Maze Runner" series, Dashner took a few moments ahead of a stop Wednesday, Nov. 16, at Barnes & Noble in Orem to answer questions for Tribune readers.
In the past you've said you write for four hours and then watch a movie. Is this still true of James Dashner?
If it's a normal day and I'm not traveling, I usually try to do a writing "session" in the morning and then another one in the afternoon. These can last anywhere from 10 minutes to three hours, depending on those creative juices and mojo. In between I always reward myself with a movie or a couple of TV shows. It's a tough life but someone's got to do it!
As a movie lover extraordinaire, what was it like to see "Maze Runner" and "The Scorch Trials" turned into a films?
The most surreal, amazing thing in the world. It's hard to describe, author or not. Director Wes Ball and his crew captured my vision so perfectly, and I loved the cast, the music, everything. Seeing the final cut of the first movie for the first time made me cry like a sobbing widow.
Speaking of movies, what has been your favorite movie of the year?
My favorite movie of 2016 is "Captain Fantastic." I know it's a weird title, but I can't even describe how … wait for it … FANTASTIC this movie is. It's about a father raising his six kids apart from society, but then they're suddenly thrust into the thick of the world. By the end, if your heart isn't soaring with pure joy, you have a dead and evil heart.
Your "Mortality Doctrine" trilogy — which explores a nightmarish intersection between reality and virtual reality — feels edgier and older than some of your previous series. How much do you consider audience when you write?
I honestly don't consider audience as much as one might think. I just write the best story I can — although I do tend to use younger people as my main characters. That will affect my content to some degree, depending on the age of the character, but it's more on a subconscious level. My editor and publisher probably think about that stuff a lot more than I do.
Let's not be coy here. You've been very successful. In fact, you're that super rare individual who can actually support yourself as a writer. What are the upsides and downsides of that kind of writing success?
The best part is being able to do this for a living with no worries about whether it can maintain itself. Also, I enjoy the many people I meet and the stories they send me. So often I hear from readers who've become friends through the "fandom," despite living in different countries. That amazes me. The worst part? Probably the expectations and the pressure.
You're very generous when it comes to "blurbing," or endorsing other writers' books. How do you find the time to read so much?
People always assume I have no time at all, but that's not really true. I consider myself a hard worker, I travel a lot, and yes, life seems busy — especially with four kids. But there's plenty of time for play, too. And I love to read.
You've nailed the dystopian fantasy genre. Any other genres you'd like to try your hand at?
As the single biggest fan of Stephen King in the history of Stephen King fans, I've always wanted to write something that would be classified as horror. In fact, that's what I'm doing "write" now!
One last question — and it's about movies again — give us a list of your five favorite films of all time.
Oh man, that's a tough one. Here are the ones that pop into my head: "Lord of the Rings," "The Matrix," "Inception," "Aliens" and "The Shawshank Redemption."
'The Fever Code' in Orem
Meet James Dashner, who is touring in support of his latest book, "The Fever Code," the fifth in his popular YA "Maze Runner" series. "The Fever Code," which will be the final book in the series, is a prequel that tells how Thomas and WICKED built the Maze.
When • Wednesday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
Where • Barnes & Noble (University Crossings Plaza), 300 E. 1300 South, Orem
More information • https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780061804846-0 or 801-229-1611; for more on the author, visit www.jamesdashner.com
James Dashner attends the 20th Century Fox press line on Day 2 of Comic-Con International on Friday, July 25, 2014, in San Diego. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)