76 Quotes & Sayings By James Dashner

James Dashner is the author of the New York Times bestselling The Maze Runner series, The Kill Order series, and the Thirteen Hours series. His first novel, The Maze Runner, received wide critical acclaim and became a blockbuster film. His second novel, The Kill Order, was released in January 2016. He lives in California with his family and regularly speaks around the world about writing and public speaking.

What was the point of even having a conversation when...
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What was the point of even having a conversation when words couldn't be trusted? James Dashner
You are the shuckiest shuck faced shuck in the world!
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You are the shuckiest shuck faced shuck in the world! James Dashner
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Shouldn't someone give a pep talk or something?" Minho asked, pulling Thomas's attention away from Alby."Go ahead, " Newt replied. Minho nodded and faced the crowd. "Be careful, " he said dryly. "Don't die. James Dashner
Awww,
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Awww, " Minho said. "That's almost as sweet as that time she slammed the end of a spear into your shuck face. James Dashner
What's going on?
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What's going on?" Newt asked, looking back and forth between Thomas and Aris. "Why're you guys looking at each other like you just fell in love? James Dashner
I can still kick your pony-lovin' butt with twice this...
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I can still kick your pony-lovin' butt with twice this much pain." Thomas shrugged, "I do love ponies. Wish I could eat one right now. James Dashner
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He whipped out his sheet, then pulled it over himself and wrapped it tightly around his face like an old woman in a shawl. 'How do I look?'' Like the ugliest shanky girl I’ve ever seen, ' Minho responded. 'You better thank the gods above you were born a dude.' 'Thanks. James Dashner
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I was just kidding, shuck-face, " Minho said. "Let's all go over there. She could have an army of psycho girl ninjas hiding in that shack of hers."" Psycho girl ninjas?" Newt repeated, his voice showing he was surprised, if not annoyed, by Minho's additude. James Dashner
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I didn't do anyting wrong. All I know is I saw two people struggling to get inside these walls and they [Minho and Alby] couldn't make it. To ignore that because of some stupid rule seemed selfish, cowardly, and.. well, stupid. If you want to throw me in jail for trying to save someone's [Alby] life, then go ahead. Next time I promise I'll point at them and laugh, then go eat some of Frypan's dinner. -Thomas. James Dashner
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Shuck it, ” Minho responded. “I’m tougher than nails. I could still kick your pony-lovin’ butt with twice this pain.” Thomas shrugged. “I do love ponies. Wish I could eat one right now. James Dashner
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Rose took my nose, I suppose, ” he repeated; the bubble of phlegm in his throat made a disgusting crackle. “And it really blows. James Dashner
Thomas: Is it [my brain] fixed? Brenda: It worked, judging...
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Thomas: Is it [my brain] fixed? Brenda: It worked, judging from the fact that you're not trying to kill us anymore... James Dashner
Just go with it', he thought. 'You won't figure out...
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Just go with it', he thought. 'You won't figure out anything if you give in to fear'. James Dashner
... sometimes knowing sucked.
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... sometimes knowing sucked. James Dashner
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Shouldn't someone give a pep talk or something?' Minho asked..." Go ahead, " Newt replied. Minho nodded and faced the crowd. 'Be careful, ' he said dryly. 'Don't die.' Thomas would have laughed if he could, but he was too scared for it to come out.' Great. We're all bloody inspired, ' Newt answered. James Dashner
Oh, I'm good. Seriously, after all these years, you'd think...
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Oh, I'm good. Seriously, after all these years, you'd think I would stop amazing myself. But here I am, still doing it. James Dashner
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I love the sound of it, " Trina whispers, as if speaking too loudly might interrupt the drumming patter of the rain outside. "It makes me want to sleep. Snuggle my head right up in your armpit and snore for three days."" My armpit?" Mark repeats. "Good thing we all showered up in the storm this morning. My pits smell like roses. Go ahead and get comfy. James Dashner
They called you the Glue
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They called you the Glue""The Glue?""Yeah. Probably because you're kind of the glue that holds us all together James Dashner
I don't give a crap if you're a Tangent or...
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I don't give a crap if you're a Tangent or a really smart llama. You're my friend and that's all that matters James Dashner
Yeah, you're a regular Mozart...well, except for the whole music...
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Yeah, you're a regular Mozart...well, except for the whole music thing. James Dashner
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Her short blond hair shifted in the wind, and she appeared the very definition of peace and comfort. Like she belonged in the world that had existed before everything was scorched. James Dashner
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He finally pulled it all back into his heart, sucking in the painful tide of his misery. In the Glade, Chuck had become a symbol for him–a beacon that somehow they could make everything right again in the world. Sleep in beds. Get kissed goodnight. Have bacon and eggs for breakfast, go to a real school. Be happy. But now Chuck was gone. And his limp body, to which Thomas still clung, seemed a cold talisman–that not only would those dreams of a hopeful future never come to pass, but that life had never been that way in the first place. That even in escape, dreary days lay ahead. A life of sorrow. His returning memories were sketchy at best. But not much good floated in the muck. Thomas reeled in the pain, locked it somewhere deep inside him. He did it for Teresa. For Newt and Minho. Whatever darkness awaited them, they’d be together, and that was all that mattered right then. . James Dashner
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A small hole in his shirt revealed a gooey red blob right in the meaty part above his armpit, blood pouring from the wound. It hurt. It hurt bad. If he’d thought his headache downstairs had been tough, this was like three or four of those, all smashed into a coil of pain right there in his shoulder. And spreading through the rest of his body. Newt was at his side, looking down with worried eyes.“ He shot me.” It just came out, a new number one on the list of the dumbest things he’d ever said. The pain, like living metal staples running through his insides, pricking and scratching with their little sharp points. He felt his mind going dark for the second time that day. James Dashner
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Thomas had no concept of time as he went through the Changing.It started much like his first memory of the Box–dark and cold. But this time he had no sensation of anything touching his feet or body. He floated in emptiness, stared into a void of black. He saw nothing, heard nothing, smelled nothing. It was as if someone had stolen his five senses, leaving him in a vacuum. Time stretched on. And on. Fear turned into curiosity, which turned into boredom. Finally, after an interminable wait, things began to change. A distant wind picked up, unfelt but heard. Then a swirling mist of whiteness appeared far in the distance–a spinning tornado of smoke that formed into a long funnel, stretching out until he could see neither the top nor the bottom of the white whirlwind. He felt the gales then, sucking into the cyclone so that it blew past him from behind, ripping at his clothes and hair like they were shredded flags caught in a storm. The tower of thick mist began to move toward him–or he was moving toward it, he couldn’t tell–increasing its speed at an alarming rate. Where seconds before he’d been able to see the distinct form of the funnel, he now could see only a flat expanse of white. And then it consumed him; he felt his mind taken by the mist, felt memories flood into his thoughts. Everything else turned into pain. . James Dashner
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Newt...""Do it before I become one of them! "" I..."" K I L L ME! " And then Newt's eyes cleared, as if he'd gained one last trembling gasp of sanity, and his voice softened." Please, Tommy. Please."With his heart falling into a black abyss, Thomas pulled the trigger. James Dashner
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It’s your incalculable ability to trust others that has always touched me. And I’m sorry to have taken advantage of it so many times” - Dr. Paige James Dashner
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Shouldn't someone give a pep talk, " Minho asked, pulling Thomas's attention away from Alby."Go ahead, " Newt replied. Minho nodded and faced the crowd. "Be careful, " he said dryly, "Don't die." Thomas would have laughed if he could, but he was too scared for it to come out." Great. We're all bloody inspired, " Newt answered then pointed over his shoulder toward the Maze, "You all know the plan. After two years of being treated like mice, tonight we're making a stand. Tonight we're taking the fight back to the Creators, no matter what we have to go through to get there. Tonight the Grievers better be scared. . James Dashner
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I'm so sorry, " he whispered to her, knowing she couldn't hear. "I'm so sorry." Her mouth moved, working to speak, and he leaned in to make out what she was trying to say." Me...too, " she whispered. "i only ever... cared for..." And then Thomas was being dragged away from her. He didn't have the energy or will to fight it. She was gone. James Dashner
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He finally pulled it all back into his heart, sucking in the painful tide of his misery. James Dashner
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I promised I'd save him, take him home! I promised him! " . Thomas hugged Chuck to his chest, squeezed him as tightly as possible, as if that could somehow bring him back, or show thanks for saving his life, for being his friend when no one else would. Thomas cried, wept like he'd never wept before. His great, racking sobs echoed through the chamber like the sounds of tortured pain. (pg 358 hardback) . James Dashner
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A loud boom exploded the air, making Thomas jump. It was followed by a horrible crunching, grinding sound. He stumbled backward, fell to the ground. He wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it for himself. The enormous stone wall to the right of them seemed to defy every known law of physics as it slid along the ground, throwing sparks and dust as it moved, rock against rock. The crunching sound rattled his bones. He looked around at the other openings. On all four sides of the Glade, the right walls were moving toward the left, closing the gap of the Doors. Then one final boom rumbled across the Glade as all four Doors sealed shut for the night. James Dashner
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I should rip your eyes out, ” Newt said, spraying Thomas with spit. “Teach you a lesson in stupidity. Why’d you come over here? You expected a bloody hug? Huh? A nice sit-down to talk about the goodtimes in the Glade? James Dashner
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He's not learning. He's not experiencing. He's remembering. He walks to the next screen, hungry to be himself again. James Dashner
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I felt her absence. it was like waking up one day with no teeth in your mouth. you wouldn't need to run to the mirror to know they were gone James Dashner
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Please, Tommy. Please James Dashner
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Find our way out, Greenie. Solve the buggin' Maze and find our way out. James Dashner
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Didn't know you could measure distance so well with nothing but you bloody eyeballs James Dashner
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He didn't have a single clue what was going on with these two strangers, but every instinct told him Master George equaled good, Mistress Jane equaled bald- he blinked-uh, bad. James Dashner
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We can't play God.We can't do this to kids. You're evil, I'm evil. Everyone will die. No matter what. Let nature win. James Dashner
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I only have two fingers left. I wrote the lies of my farewell with two fingers. That is the truth. We are evil. They are kids. We are evil. James Dashner
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Mark nodded even though she couldn't see. He'd suddenly lost any desire to talk, and his plans for a perfect day washed away with the stream. The memories. They never let him go, not even for a half hour. They always had to rush back in, bringing all the horror. James Dashner
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Thomas had lived in fear and terror the past few weeks, but this was almost too much. To feel safe only to have that snatched away again. James Dashner
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Thomas jabbed a thumb over his shoulder and raised his eyebrows." You met our new friend?" Miho responded, a smirk flashing across his face. "Real piece of work, this guy. I gotta get me one of those shuck suits. Fancy stuff."" Am I awake?" Thomas asked." You're awake. Now eat–you look horrible. Almost as bad as Rat Man over there, reading his book. James Dashner
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A twisted, pale figure writhing in agony, chest bare and hideous. Tight, rigid cords of sickly green veins webbed across the boy’s body and limbs, like ropes under his skin. Purplish bruises covered the kid, red hives, bloody scratches. His bloodshot eyes bulged, darting back and forth. James Dashner
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Your demons are always with you, " Skale answered. His voice seemed even raspier than the day before. "Don't you understand that by now? Always with you, impossible to escape. But you never can guess how they might manifest themselves. James Dashner
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For the first time in his life, Michael understood why real soldiers coming back from real wars often had a hard time getting over the things they'd seen and done. And had done to them. If Michael had a soul, it was starting to leak out of his hopes. James Dashner
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He let out a short laugh. "You sound like Sherlock Holmes. You gonna pull out a magnifying glass? A pipe, maybe? James Dashner
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Please Tommy. Please. James Dashner
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I'm so sorry, " he whispered to her, knowing she couldn't hear. I'm so sorry." Her mouth moved, working to speak, and he leaned in to make out what she was trying to say. "Me ... too, " she whispered. "I only ever ... cared for... James Dashner
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Thats called hypocrisy, you shuck face piece of -! James Dashner
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Newt shook his head, his face a mixture of anger and awe. “What you did was half brave and half bloody stupid. Seems like you’re pretty good at that. James Dashner
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Absolutely nothing. That's what I'm going to do for two weeks. Not think. If I start to think, I'm going to think really hard about not thinking until I quit thinking. James Dashner
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I remember remembering, ” she muttered, sitting down with a heavy sigh; she pulled her legs up to wrap her arms around her knees. “Feelings. Emotions. Like I have all these shelves in my head, labeled for memories and faces, but they’re empty. As if everything before this is just on the other side of a white curtain. Including you. James Dashner
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Memories had come back to Thomas on several occasions. The Changing, the dreams he’d had since, fleeting glimpses here and there, like quick lightning strikes in his mind. And right now, listening to the white-suited man talk, it felt as if he were standing on a cliff and all the answers were just about to float up from the depths for him to see in their entirety. The urge to grasp those answers was almost too strong to keep at bay. But he was still wary. He knew he’d been a part of it all, had helped design the Maze, had taken over after the original Creators died and kept the program going with new recruits. “I remember enough to be ashamed of myself, ” he admitted. “But living through this kind of abuse is a lot different than planning it. It’s just not right. James Dashner
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Taste good?” Brenda asked as she dug into her own food. “Please. I’d push my own mom down the stairs to eat this stuff, ” Thomas said. “I’d kill your mother for something fresh out of a garden. A nice salad.” “Guess my mom doesn’t have much of a chance if she’s ever standing between us and a grocery store.” “Guess not. James Dashner
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Oh, man, " he mumbled with a full mouth. "At least the food is good. James Dashner
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Wonder why we can do this, ' he called out with his mind. The mental effort of speaking to her was already straining–he felt a headache forming like a bulge in his brain. 'Maybe we were lovers, ' Teresa said. Thomas tripped and crashed to the ground. Smiling sheepishly at Minho, who’d turned to look without slowing, Thomas got back up and caught up to him. 'What?' he finally asked. He sensed a laugh from her, a watery image full of color. . James Dashner
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I hated the place, Tommy. I hated every second of every day. And it was all … your … fault! James Dashner
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You're Subject A-two, " Newt answered. Then he lowered his eyes" And?" Thomas pushed. Newt hesitated, then answered without looking at him. "It doesn't call you anything. It just says .. . 'To be killed by Group B. James Dashner
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Saving you was worth losing what we might've had. James Dashner
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They hugged, tight and warm and full of the promise he’d made upon waking up. James Dashner
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Minho snickered and leaned back in his chair. “Man, you are one butt-load of sunshine, let me tell you. James Dashner
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Owr brave little shank! James Dashner
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... Don't feel bad about crying. Ever. James Dashner
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If any of your body parts become detached due to an unfortunate encounter with a crank, I highly advise you leave said body part behind and run like hell. Unless it's a leg, of course. James Dashner
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Hey, Alec, " he said. The man was on his hands and knees, leaning his face into the middle of a bush; he grunted something that kind of sounded like a "Yeah?""Why are we spending so much time on this side of where we left them?" Alec pulled himself out of the bush and looked back at him. "Seemed logical. I'd think they either followed us out of here to find us, or they were taken by the same yahoos who attacked us. Or.. maybe they went to investigate the fire." Mark thought that was all barking up the wrong tree. "Or they ran away from the fire. Not every person on earth is as wacky-brained as you, good sir. Most people see a huge roaring inferno coming at them? They decide to cut and run. Just saying. . James Dashner
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Thomas felt his spirits lift, but immediately squashed them back down. Getting his hopes up was something he’d sworn never to do again. Not until all this was over. James Dashner
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He turned to look just in time to see the rain start falling out as if the storm had finally decided to weep with shame for what it had done to them. James Dashner
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Brenda frowned, then focused on Thomas. “You’re–we’re–doing the right thing.”“ I don’t think there is a right or wrong anymore, ” Thomas said, hearing the numbness in his own voice. He desperately wanted sleep. “Only horrible and not-quite-so-horrible. James Dashner
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I'm crazy, boy. I'm a madman. I could eat both of you for dinner and love every bite. James Dashner
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Thomas remembered the image of the Cranks at the windows back at the dorm. Like living nightmares, missing only a death certificate to make them official zombies. James Dashner
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We can’t try to outguess them anymore. Sometimes they do things just to make me do the opposite of what they think I think they think I want to do.”“ Huh?” the three of them asked at the same time, confusion transforming their faces. James Dashner
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He forced himself forward trying to seem innocent without acting like someone who was guilty who was trying to act innocent. James Dashner
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Thomas was sick of being accused of knowing things. James Dashner
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Don't ever let the other stuff get in the way of your inherent skills as a kick-butt storyteller. Move the reader, make them happy and sad and excited and scared. Make them stare into space after they've put the book down, thinking about the tale that's become a part of them. James Dashner