Local engineer pens sci-fi book

NORTH RIDGEVILLE — If you had the ability to control your dreams, and the dreams of others, what would you do with it? Would you help people, or use it for more sinister purposes? What if you had a ragtag group of friends with super powers of their own — telekinesis, pyrokinesis, the ability to manipulate technology? That's the premise behind "The Dreamweaver." A support engineer for a marketing company, Mark Bogner, 51, has been writing on and off since the early 2000s, when he posted short stories on a blog. He originally published "The Dreamweaver'' in 2008, but pulled it off of the market in 2016 to rework it, republishing it again this year. "The Dreamweaver'' is partly based on the 1984 movie "Dreamscape" with Dennis Quaid and the popular "X-Men" comic book and movie series. The hero of "The Dreamweaver" finds himself on the wrong side of a government experiment after a group attacks and destroys the facility where he and his friends live. His mentor is killed, and the hero and his ability-possessing buddies are left to solve the mystery of who did it and why. "I do love sci-fi," Bogner admitted. "I also love action adventure stories and horror, but sci-fi is where my heart lies." Bogner began reworking the book in 2020, but focused on it last year and this year. Bogner, a 1992 graduate of Marion L. Steele High School in Amherst, attended Lorain County Community College, and has lived in Amherst, Lorain, Cleveland and Elyria. "The Dreamweaver" can be found through Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and independent local bookstores, where Bogner can often be found at book readings and signings. "I'm excited to do this," Bogner said. "Going on this journey and being a part of something this cool, as an introvert, it's amazing. The journey I have been on has just been fantastic." Bogner already is hard at work on his next books — one a more comedic sci-fi work and the other, a sci-fi horror book. He hopes to have the first draft of the former completed before the end of the year and published by spring and the latter completed by summer 2026 and published by the end of that year. Attending events to promote his book, Bogner is often questioned about how to write and motivation to write. "Whatever you're passionate about, whether you work in fast food or you're an engineer, if you have passion for something, always go for it," he said. "Do something with it. Don't let it fall away and end up with regrets. Follow your dream." He also encourages people to write for themselves. "Write the story you want to read," he said. "Do it for yourself more than anyone else. If you make it for yourself, that's where you can answer that passion." As far as motivation, "just do it," he said. "Get in the zone," he said. Bogner, who has a book signing Sept. 20 at the Second Look Books & Brews in Lodi, and his wife, DeEdra, live in North Ridgeville. Contact Christina Jolliffe at ctnews@chroniclet.com.