Maneka Gandhi receives first copy of children's sci-fi book

 New Delhi: Women and Child Development minister Maneka Gandhi on Tuesday received the first copy of "The Great Moto-Matic House" by debut author Brijesh Luthra.

"I have a deep love for science fiction and possess over 500 books on the subject. I congratulate the author for bringing science to the world of ten year olds," Gandhi said. 

Inviting young readers to join the intergalactic escapades of a ten-and-a-half year old boy and his robot pal from outer space, Luthra will soon address young book lovers in Mumbai, Pune and Chennai.

An ex-banker, consulting professional, coach of the Swiss national U-15 cricket team and an avid writer, Luthra has taken a sabbatical from his mainstream career to focus on writing. 

"We are all born storytellers. As most of us grow up, our creative sides get suppressed by the everyday routine and demands of life. But there are occasional sparks, which can be nurtured to revive that creative self. The spark for this series was a seemingly simple parental duty from a few years ago -- giving my very young son a shower. 

"Both of us dreaded that activity so much that we spent countless hours discussing ideas for a five-second shower machine that I can give make as his birthday gift. While that shower machine never materialised, but these stories did. And this is my gift to children all over the world," Luthra said in a statement.