Eat More Art Vegas
Check out our first TASTE Vegas Arts Digest of 2023 for a creative start to your New Year! #EatMoreArt #VegasBornArts #vegasculture
top of page
Search
Long-time IT engineer publishes a 94-page sci-fi adventure story after he dives into a creative idea that tapped him in the springtime. For more than 20 years, Vamsi Alturi made all of the right, responsible adult decisions. He excelled in his career as an IT engineer and was a proud husband and father. Then earlier this year, an idea for a children’s sci-fi story came to him. He’d felt the storytelling bug in the past but always brushed it off. This time he didn’t, and the move paid off. In November, the Las Vegas father published his first children’s science fiction book, The Crytivat – The Search for the Lost Keys, which is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. “I’ve always been creative; I just never took action on it,” Alturi said. “To me, this story is really about telling people to follow the voices speaking to them when they’re not listening. I want everyone to take action and listen to that voice.”
Atluri wrote the action-packed children’s science fiction book The Crytivat – The Search For The Lost Keys. The book follows the adventures of a boy named Scott who goes from being bullied in school to teleporting around different planets, morphing into different aliens in a search for the lost keys, making friends and finding out he must save the universe from evil aliens.
Scott finds his life changed after he trips on a metal beam at a construction site. He falls head-first into a pit, where he finds a mysterious magical box. Inside is a hexagon-shaped object that portals him to other planets while transforming him into the native species for each planet when he arrives there. He then sets out on a quest to find missing pieces of the object in order to save the universe from aliens. After the idea first came to Alturi, it quickly started to take shape. But the author’s journey also had some trying moments where the narrative hit some roadblocks. He credits his son for inspiration and for helping him to stick with the process. “My eight-year-old son’s joyous spirit fueled me. Sometimes I would go for weeks without knowing the character’s next move, but this experience very much rekindled a dormant creative spark, and I couldn’t stop. I felt it was my time. I needed to put this down on paper,” Alturi added. While promoting his first book, the new author is working on his next children’s sci-fi story. Going forward, he also hopes to create a metaverse for the Crytivat ebook so that readers can interact online with characters in the book. The Crytivat – The Search for the Lost Keys can be purchased on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Youth can enjoy readings, illustration demonstrations and musical performances during the 2022 Las Vegas Book Festival Saturday, Oct. 22, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The free festival is held downtown at the Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St., and is open to all ages.
EMMY and Latin Grammy-Award winner Lucky Diaz will read from his book “Paletero Man,” perform with the The Lucky Band and host an interactive workshop that will guide children through the entire process of writing a song.
Additional youth activities include:
Pictionary with illustrators Troy Cummings, Heather Fox, Cyndi Marko and Mika Song
Readings with authors Julie Berry and J. L. Esplin
An introductory workshop to zines for those ages 6-15 with Co-Zi LV.
The city of Las Vegas will host a Children’s Rainbow Wonderland with pop-up mobile recreation activities, arts and crafts, and more from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This year’s festival headliners includes Washington Post investigative journalist Carl Bernstein, celebrity chef and author Hubert Keller, “Such A Fun Age” author Kiley Reid and New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand.
A full schedule of festival activities that includes panel discussions, book signings, arts and crafts for children and musical performances can be found here. For updates and more information on the book festival, visit www.lasvegasbookfestival.com. Keep up with festival news on Facebook and Twitter (#VegasBookFest).
Produced by the city of Las Vegas, Nevada Humanities and NV Energy, the Las Vegas Book Festival also is supported with funding from donors via The Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE. Additional sponsors include the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Audacy Radio and The CW. Gold/silver/bronze sponsors include Arts Midwest, Healthplan of Nevada, the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, the Las Vegas Rotary and the UFC. Additional event sponsors include the National Endowment for the Humanities, Nevada Center for the Book and Spread the Word Nevada.
The Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE was established in 2018 as a vehicle for corporate and philanthropic partners to support innovative programs that improve quality of life for all Las Vegas residents with a special focus on vulnerable populations. The Fund creates opportunities for public-private partnerships as well as donations of cash, time and in-kind goods and services. Guided by a diverse group of community leaders who serve as members of the fund’s Advisory Committee, the fund targets specific community needs with a goal of making Las Vegas a national leader in four areas: Livability, Innovation, Future and Education. The Nevada Community Foundation, a public charity under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, serves as The Mayor’s Fund fiscal agent, receiving all private donations. Donations to the Nevada Community Foundation for The Mayor’s Fund are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. For information, visit MayorsFundLV.org.
The Las Vegas Book Festival is the largest literary event in Nevada, presented by the city of Las Vegas, The Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE, NV Energy and Nevada Humanities, along with many sponsors and supporters, including the National Endowment for the Humanities. The 21st annual celebration of the written, spoken and illustrated word is free and open to all ages. Through the years, the festival has presented countless well-known authors, panel discussions, readings, workshops and book signings. Topics of interest include politics, social issues, history, popular fiction, cooking and science fiction. There’s something for everyone. For information, please visit lasvegasbookfestival.com. Keep up with festival news on Facebook and Twitter (#VegasBookFest).
bottom of page