Glenn Somodi: Blending Technology, Imagination, and the Human Spirit

By Deb Jenkins
Expanded and updated with new material

Glenn Somodi drafts his stories in the short space between lying down and dreaming. The stories are replayed and rewritten in his head for enjoyment, and his mission is simple: to find anyone who enjoys reading his stories as much as he enjoys creating them.

The inspiration for his books goes back to childhood, when he and his friends would explore the old forest behind their neighborhood in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. There, they built forts, cleared brush, and discovered a world alive with mystery—sometimes poison ivy, but also strange treasures like puffballs, the tiny leathery fungal sacks that released smoke-like spores when squeezed. Those early days of curiosity and wonder later grew into Olly & the Spores, Somodi’s award-winning middle-grade series.

Enter Olly Appleton, his friend Ember, and the whimsical gang of Spores. In Somodi’s latest adventure, Olly and the Spores of Sapphire Creek, Olly believes he knows all his grandfather’s secrets—but there’s still one more left to discover.

“Growing up in the era of such movies as E.T., The Goonies, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones, I found I write my stories to inspire imagination, introduce readers to whimsical characters that become their best friends, and put them into an adventure that leaves them smiling and begging for more,” Somodi said.

Somodi calls his stories Kidult Fiction—tales created with both kids and adults in mind. Ideas often come to him as he’s falling asleep. “It’s my form of counting sheep,” he says. The ideas stay in his head until they’re fully formed, then find their way onto paper—often paving the way for sequels.

Experiences at events like the Buckeye Book Fair keep him inspired. “My favorite part is finding that no matter the age, my readers have the same love for imagination, adventure, and action as I do,” he shared.

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From Journalism to Flight and Fiction

A proud graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, Somodi blends his training as a journalist with the heart of a storyteller. His ability to balance structure and imagination comes, in part, from being raised by a schoolteacher and an engineer—one parent nurturing creativity, the other curiosity about how things work.

He also spent years serving his community through the Civil Air Patrol, where he became commander of the Medina Skyhawks 219th Composite Squadron and previously served as a senior member. The Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, engages in emergency services, aerospace education, and youth leadership training. Those experiences—rich in teamwork, technology, and responsibility—greatly influenced his writing.

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A Leap into the Future: Draven’s Run

Somodi’s imagination soars far beyond the forests of his youth. His speculative thriller, Draven’s Run, transforms his real-world knowledge of aviation, drones, and digital technology into a chilling vision of America’s future.

The novel opens in 2050, following the aftermath of a bitter 2048 election. The government, desperate to control immigration, dismantles the Department of Homeland Security and privatizes border control. The job falls to Red Draven, a billionaire tech magnate whose company, Draven Labs, unleashes mechanical beasts across a reimagined borderland known as the Red Zone. These machines—part drone, part creature—hunt those attempting to cross the border.

Through “Civil Watch,” a viral online game, citizens can pay to “patrol” the border, controlling these mechanical monsters while earning money, ranks, and national pride. But when two young hackers, Aiden and Gabby, discover that the game’s weapons are lethally real, they join a rogue group of activists to expose the truth. The story becomes a battle between freedom and control, humanity and machine.

Blending high-tech intrigue with moral depth, Draven’s Run reflects Somodi’s Civil Air Patrol experiences and his lifelong fascination with innovation—and his awareness of how technology can both empower and endanger.

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A Writer Grounded in Wonder

Beyond his dystopian fiction, Somodi’s heart lies with stories that spark joy. His Olly & the Spores series has earned national acclaim, including multiple BookFest Awards, a 2024 American Fiction Award, and recognition from the Page Turner, Readers’ Favorite, and Golden Wizard book prizes.

He describes his creative world as a blend of science, imagination, and heart—a universe where technology, nature, and friendship coexist. Whether he’s writing about magical forests or futuristic borders, Somodi’s work reminds readers that courage, empathy, and curiosity remain humankind’s greatest tools for survival.

A member of SCBWI Ohio North and Literary Cleveland, Glenn Somodi continues to write stories that bridge generations and genres—stories that challenge the mind, stir the heart, and invite every reader, young or old, to rediscover their sense of wonder.

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