'Maze Runner' author announces prequel 'The Fever Code'

PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Maze Runner author James Dashner will release new prequel The Fever Code in 2016.

The 41-year-old writer announced the news in a statement Wednesday, and revealed the novel will explore how the Gladers arrive at the Maze.

"From the very beginning, I've always wanted to write a prequel about Thomas, Teresa, Newt, Minho, Alby and all the Gladers that leads up to the very moment Thomas enters the box," Dashner said. "There are so many things hinted at that will be fun to reveal in depth. For years, fans have made it abundantly and enthusiastically clear that they want the same thing, so now seems like the perfect time to give readers the story of how the Maze began."

The Maze Runner was published in 2007, and inspired sequels The Scorch Trials (2010) and The Death Cure (2011). The series is set in a post-apocalyptic world, and follows protagonist Thomas as he and other Gladers attempt to escape the maze that surrounds their community. Dashner released a prequel, The Kill Order, in 2012, that expands the world but focuses on new characters.

The Maze Runner was adapted for film by Wes Ball, and opened in theaters September 19. The movie stars Dylan O'Brien (Teen Wolf) as Thomas, and sequel The Scorch Trials will premiere in 2015.