We all love technology and have plenty of it, that’s why we probably enjoy books that involve lots of hi-tech. Thrillers for young adult readers often involve lots of technology, it has long been a catalyst for dystopian storytelling, shaping the very worlds where survival hangs by a thread. From Orwell’s surveillance state in 1984 to the algorithmic control of Black Mirror, these narratives tap into our fears of technological overreach, human resilience, and ethical dilemmas. That brings me to The Maze Runner, by James Dashner, not the film based on the book, but the first novel in the Maze Runner series. The Maze Runner thrusts us into a dystopian landscape where memory wipes, biological experimentation, and an ever-shifting, AI-controlled labyrinth dictate the lives of its unwilling inhabitants. Is that enough tech for you? This achieves a pulse-pounding adventure that feels eerily aligned with today’s ever-growing concerns about artificial intelligence and the unpredictability of technological evolution. If you have seen the film, trust me, the book is far superior.
The novel begins with a 16 year old boy awakening in a metal box with no recollection of his past, he only knows that his name is Thomas. As the box rises, he emerges into a world known as the Glade. The Glade is a world built for survival, a walled-in settlement surrounded by an ever-changing maze. The inhabitants, all teenage boys known as Gladers, have developed a simple society governed by rules and survival tactics. They main focus is on survival but they are attempting to navigate the maze with hopes of escape. But the maze is a labyrinth of shifting stone walls and is patrolled by horrifying, biomechanical creatures known as Grievers, whose very presence transforms this world into a life-or-death challenge.
None of the inhabitants of the Glade has any memory of how they got there or their life before arriving, all they remember is how to speak and how to do things, but none has any personal memories. The Gladers believe they were sent to the Glade by the mystery “Creators” known only as WICKED, for reasons unknown.
For years the Gladers have been trying to solve the puzzle of the maze. But that all starts to change with the arrival of Thomas, followed soon after with Teresa’s arrival, the only girl ever to join the group. Teresa arrives with the cryptic message “Everything is going to change” and a note saying “She’s the last one. Ever”.
Overall, The Maze Runner is an fantastic action-packed puzzle adventure, with themes of survival, identity, friendship, human and artificial intelligence. Dashner masterfully blends these themes with psychological tension, forcing readers to question the very nature of control, freedom, and the cost of technological experimentation. Are they prisoners or pawns in an experiment?
While published in 2009, this gripping adventure taps into themes that are very relevant in today’s tech-driven world with:
- Artificial Intelligence & Control – The maze operates like an advanced AI system, adapting unpredictably and enforcing challenges that mirror real-world algorithmic decision-making.
- Human Experimentation & Ethics – The teenagers’ presence is no accident. As the story unfolds, their struggle becomes a grim commentary on scientific manipulation and how technology can exploit rather than aid humanity.
- Memory & Identity – With their pasts erased, the Gladers wrestle with fundamental questions about selfhood – an issue increasingly pertinent in an era of digital footprints and identity shaping.
- Surveillance and Privacy -Throughout the novel, the characters are being watched. WICKED monitors their movements, reactions, and decisions, much like an omnipresent surveillance state. This mirrors real-world debates over data privacy, government surveillance, and corporate tracking. The ethical dilemma here is clear: who has the right to observe, collect, and use personal information? And at what cost to individual freedom?
The characters are excellent. Thomas, as the main protagonist, is inquisitive and intelligent. Teresa is complex and very interesting and a good contrast to the rest of the community. And the supporting cast with Chuck, Newt, Alby, Minho weave a fast-paced and absorbing tale.
Readers will have to get used to some new language throughout the story. At first, it can be a bit confusing, but it doesn’t take long to get used to or figure out and soon becomes second nature and “normalised” with the children using their own form of slang, words like:
- Klunk – means “poo”, “poop” or “crap”.
- Shank – means “friend” or “fellow,” or sometimes just “person”.
- Shuck – an expletive used to bring attention to one’s annoyance or frustration.
- Slim it – means “calm down” or “shut it.”
- Slinthead – a derogatory term used mostly by others when one makes a mistake that involves repercussions.
- Greenbean/Greenie – the newest arrival to the Glade.
- Newbie – a newcomer in the Glade. Can refer to a Greenie, or anyone else relatively new.
- Good That – said when a Glader agrees with someone or something. (This is my most annoying phrase throughout the book, for some reason it just grates on me.)
- Jacked – describing a person who is messed up in the head.
- Deadheads – a forest in the South West end of the Glade with a graveyard.
For fans of dystopian fiction, The Maze Runner offers the perfect blend of suspense, intrigue, and thematic depth. Its technological undertones make it particularly engaging for readers fascinated by AI, ethical experimentation, and survival in the face of controlled environments.
While aimed at the YA market, adult readers will enjoy it too. With its fascinating, engaging and entertaining plot packed with suspense and tension, it is a pulsating read. As it is part of a series, the characters are not fully developed yet.
Written in the third person, readers follow Thomas and the Gladers on a journey of discovery, rebellion and fighting to survive/escape. An exciting fight against the system and the unknown authoritarian figures of the “Creators”. While the nature of the story involves violence and death, it isn’t gratuitous or graphic – just enough to add power and thrills to the story without being outright scary.
If you enjoyed The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins then you will definitely enjoy The Maze Runner. A dystopian sci-fi adventure novel that is exciting and is probably more relevant today with the rise of AI than when it was written. An exciting read that takes a look at how friendships, leadership and community are so important for a society to function.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £8.99 (Paperback) / £2.49 (Kindle)
For more information, visit jamesdashner.com. Available to buy from Amazon here.
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