Demi-Con: Chernobyl in 2011
by Ishmael Williams

As we all know, our friends in the Ukraine are a little bit busy with clean-up. But their spirit is undeterred, and after the successful release of Godzilla, they believe they have a great reason to mount a convention. Unfortunately, they had no time, at this moment, to mount the bid themselves, so they approached their sister convention, CONvergence, and enlisted our support in drumming up interest.

And so, Chernobyl in 2011 was born. 2011 will mark the 25th anniversary of the unfortunate incident, and they figure they will have things pretty much cleaned up by then. We premiered our bid on Demi-Con weekend, at the Holiday Inn Park Square Hotel. The door opened promptly at 7:30 on May 6th to the eerie green lighting of radioactivity. We created a soft, comfortable atmosphere that was subdued and comfortable. It was also soft. Did we mention it was comfortable? People stopped by on their merry rounds to "melt down" for a little while, before continuing on to other revelries.

We sustained our visitors with the type of food guaranteed to survive any kind of disaster; nachos and melted cheese appetized the palate. We followed with the heartier fare of Raamen noodles, a sure pleaser and safe to eat when all other food is contaminated. For desert, the ever popular Twinkies, a substance whose half-life has yet to be determined.

Topping off any visit was the newly formulated "Atomic Screwdriver", also known as Toxic Waste. A lovely, thick, greenish-tinged drink that assaulted the palate with a variety of flavors, and left some people reeling back for more. And there was the return of "Pureed Smurf Classic", a delightful light beverage that affects you from the inside out, like any good radiation.

Our conversation pit boasted many of the visitors to this convention. Some stopped by to sample, others settled in for a visit. Our music was pleasant and cheerful, Muzak-like versions of the top SF&F themes. We relaxed, we chatted, we displayed maps of the convention site in Chernobyl, and debuted the Chernobyl in 2011 t-shirt, which boasts the top 10 reasons why holding a Worldcon in Chernobyl is a grand idea (example: Ample Free parking).

We had a successful run. Chernobyl in 2011 can next be seen at this year's Worldcon. Please stop by and show your support for the con that glows on you!