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Schöne Grüße aus der Zukunft is a German book by the authors Frederik Hetmann and Harald Tondern (who often cooperated) which came out in 1991. It's divided in two parts, the first one set in 1984, the other one in the then-future year of 2010. Both parts are connected by the main characters, siblings Thomas and Britta from Hamburg. In the first part, they are teenagers, with Thomas having his 18th birthday; in part 2, they're both parents themselves, with Thomas' son Kristian becoming eighteen. Thomas made the straight career he always wanted but is so estranged from his wife and son that he doesn't even know that they've moved to an "alternative zone" years ago. Britta had quite an adventurous life as a consultant on several continents and two children from different men. Then, they all meet again in Hamburg...
- Amicably Divorced: Thomas' and Britta's parents. Well, at least they try. Thomas lives together with their father, Britta with their mother.
- Amicable Exes: It's complicated. Britta separated from her first (Indian) husband (and father of her firstborn) long ago, had a daughter from another man meanwhile. Then they meet again in Hamburg. He expresses it like this: "You hate me and you love me." (Gratuituous English]] in the original.)
- Applied Phlebotinum: The Brain Music Master. It projects a music you hear in your head -- so other people around you can hear it too. The more people in the crowd around you like it, the more will hear it. This is the kind of gift a boy would love to get for his 18th birthday just as much as he'd wish for his own computer in 1984.
- Author Appeal: Part 2 is partly set in Ireland.
- Buddhism: Her first husband became a Buddhist monk for some time after being separated from Britta and also insists that Kim should become this. Later, Kim does indeed (off-screen), and Britta has a hard time imagining this.
- Casanova Wannabe: Roberto.
- Also, every man Britta meets in Africa, if not worse. Good thing that her future husband arrives to play the role of the white knight. Later, they have a son together.
- Cool and Unusual Punishment: After getting too close to Britta for her comfort, a punk cuts up the vain Roberto's clothes. Then, they give him one of their own sweaters (neither too new nor too clean nor too fashionable) as replacement. [1]
- The Cult: Britta spent some time in a commune, where the majority of the members had to work eight hours per day, while their leaders spent all the time meditating -- or doing nothing at all, as Britta suspected.
- Defector From Decadence: "Der blanke Hans" was a chemistry expert with a successful career, until he decided to leave it behind and went to a commune. Same could be said about other people in alternative zones.
- A Degree in Useless:
- Thomas meets a Turkish taxi driver in 2010 who had to write over 1000 applications before he found this job, and tells Thomas that recently a teacher for German and history won a contest (first prize: A job in a beer factory) for the most job applications written. How many? Over 9000 (note that the book is several years older than the meme).
- Thomas also thinks this about Kristian's dream occupation, Menschenhelfer (humanity's helper). For which he'll need twenty years of education, and no one outside an alternative zone needs (at least, Thomas thinks so). Kristian counters that it's similar to being a monk, and that there is no such thing as an unemployed monk.