Nobody warns you that Eurocon registration lines are where physics goes to die.
One moment you’re clutching your badge voucher, the next a creature with too many elbows is asking if the lanyards come in tentacle length.
The thing nobody tells you about Eurocon is that sooner or later, something with too many legs …an arms, will wander in, ask where the registration desk is, and behave as if this is the most natural thing in the galaxy.
Which is precisely why the EUROCON/MetropolCon Berlin 2026 (A multimedia Event for Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror) crew—those brave, enthusiastic custodians of speculative fiction chaos—decided to bottle that energy and unleash a micro‑prose competition so outrageous it practically writes itself: “An Alien Walks into a Eurocon…”, a contest that might make the Muse of Speculative Fiction snort her coffee.
Thus was born the microfiction challenge: “An Alien Walks into a Eurocon…”—a prompt so simple it’s practically a trap.
Yes, that’s the actual opening line!
Yes, you must use it.
You get one hundred words, title included.
That’s right, one hundred.
Yes, you only get 100 words, including the title, because nothing sharpens the mind like a word‑count guillotine dangling over your creativity.
And yes, the stories must be humorous, because the universe is already full of grimdark misery and someone has to restore cosmic balance with a punchline.
Enough to build a universe, destroy it, and still have room for a punchline.
Humor is mandatory; tragedy has been outsourced to other galaxies.
Anyone can join— attendees, non‑attendees, humans, non‑humans, stowaways, cryptids, or that friend who claims he “don’t write” but secretly keeps a folder labeled „Unpublishable Genius”.
All you have to do is send your micro‑masterpiece (if you dare) to writing.competition {at} metropolcon {dot} eu before the clock strikes 23:59:59 CEST on June 19, 2026.
One entry per human.
Or per being.
Or per whatever you identify as when inspiration strikes.
Don’t forget your preferred pen name, because anonymity is sexy and also because some of you will absolutely want plausible deniability.
A jury of notoriously humorless fans—the kind who haven’t cracked a smile since the 1998 Hugo ballot—will sift through the entries and select ten that manage to make them grin, or at least twitch at the corner of the mouth.
These finalists will then be handed to a special guest who will not flip a coin, not consult the stars, and not ask an AI (perish the thought).
They will simply choose.
With human judgment.
The old‑fashioned way.
Results will be announced at the EUROCON/MetropolCon Berlin 2026 convention, so keep an eye on the program unless you enjoy suspense-induced palpitations.
Your data stays safe, your dignity remains mostly intact, and if your story wins, you might even see it immortalized on the EUROCON/MetropolCon 2026 website—with your permission, of course.
One final warning: AI tools are forbidden.
The Muse of Speculative Fiction herself has allegedly threatened to curse any cheaters for life.
And she is not known for empty threats.
So sharpen your wit, polish your punchlines, and imagine the exact moment an extraterrestrial lifeform wanders into Eurocon and wonders why everyone is wearing lanyards.
A jury of fans so humorless they could outstare a black hole will select ten finalists who manage to make them smile—or at least twitch.
Then a special guest will choose the winner using the ancient art of human judgment.
Winners will be revealed at EUROCON/MetropolCon Berlin 2026, amid the glorious chaos of speculative fiction celebration.
Your dignity will survive mostly intact, and your story might even be immortalized online—with your consent, of course.
So polish your wit, brace your imagination, and picture the moment an alien cuts the queue, convinced that only at Eurocon do rational beings still exist.
Send your entry (if you dare) to writing.competition {at} metropolcon {dot} eu before 23:59:59 CEST on June 19, 2026: „An Alien Walks into a Eurocon…”
Include your pen name, because anonymity is the only shield against cosmic embarrassment.
Best of luck—and may your alien walk in with style! 😊
Idea: Valentin Ivanov; team support: Alexa Pukall & Claudia Rapp
