User:Artemis Andromeda/sandbox/belter

Belters, in science fiction, are inhabitants of an asteroid-based circumstellar disc, usually, the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The term was first introduced in 1965, by science fiction writer Larry Niven, in a short story published in Worlds of Tomorrow magazine, which was, shortly after adopted to his novel World of Ptavvs, which was part of the Tales of Known Space serries. Since then, the term had been used in numerous works.^[1] The notable example of works featuring Belters, are 2011 science fiction book series The Expanse by James S. A. Corey, and their adaptation, 2015 The Expanse television series.

Term origins

The term Belter, with its current meaning, had been first introduced in 1965, by science fiction writer Larry Niven, in a short story World of Ptavvs, which was published in the issue no. 56/1 of Worlds of Tomorrow magazine. It was then subsequently adopted by the author into his science fiction novel 1965 World of Ptavvs, which was part of Tales of Known Space serries.^[1] In his book, the term, was used to describe group of people, who had inhabited the asteroids and space stations in the main asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter, being a working class connected with the industry of the asteroid mining.^[2]

Belter is a demonym, to the word Belt, referring to the asteroid belt.^[1]^[2]

Prior to Niven's usage of the term, the word Belter was used as a name of character by Theodore Sturgeon, in his 1948 science fiction short story There Is No Defense, published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine. However, the usage of word was coincidental, as there were no clear connection between the character and an asteroid belt.^[1]

Characteristics and tropes

Appearances

Tales of Known Space

https://larryniven.net/humans.shtml

When the miners in the Asteroid Belt completed work on Confinement Asteroid, the first large bubble-world, they declared independence from Earth and the United Nations. Several years of tension followed, but eventually an era of trade and prosperity set in, not threatened until the arrival of the Kzinti.

Notable Belters: Jack Brennan, "Lit" Shaeffer For Further Reading: World of Ptavvs, Protector, "Madness Has its Place"

https://web.archive.org/web/20100218034430/http://www.freewebs.com/knownspace/b.htm/#bel4

Belt— Sol System's main asteroid belt, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It is a source of valuable minerals, and is worked by asteroid miners, who created the Belter culture. Ceres is the capital. Settlement of the Belt began circa 2006 [2], and by 2046 Belter population pressure prompted the construction of Confinement Asteroid. In 2106 Belters were involved in an economic struggle with Earth for their independence, and by 2126 independence had been achieved. By 2371 it had a million citizens and owned nearly all Sol system. ["The Warriors", World of Ptavvs, The Patchwork Girl, "The Ethics of Madness"]

Belter— A citizen of an asteroid belt. Belter civilization arose in Sol system's main asteroid Belt, with an economy centered on asteroid mining. As time progressed, Belters colonized the Serpent Stream in the Alpha Centauri system, and perhaps asteroid belts elsewhere. Born and raised in low gravity, native Belters tend to be tall and thin. Belters created their own distinct culture, placing high value on independence, self-reliance, neatness, and care for one's self and machinery. Living and working in vacuo, carelessness or lack of maintenance can be deadly. Belters don't use gesture or make careless movements; in a small mining ship, one could easily hit the wrong control by mistake. They tend to be anarchic, scornful of authority, and intolerant of fools. Other cultural byways include the Belter strip haircut, elaborate paintings on their spacesuits, and calling Earth natives Flatlanders, with the implication they're a bit helpless. ["The Warriors", World of Ptavvs, The Patchwork Girl]

https://larryniven.fandom.com/wiki/Belt

The Expanse

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belter_Creole

https://expanse.fandom.com/wiki/Outer_Planets_Alliance

https://expanse.fandom.com/wiki/Belter

They are an oppressed and mistrusted working class that provide many goods for Earth and Mars through the mining and other work facilities built on the asteroids. Although they are a weaker, less organized faction, they have started to resist the powers of Earth and Mars. The Outer Planets Alliance (OPA) was formed to bring together the Belt and to further their interests.

Physically distinctive traits Humans born in the Belt are taller and thinner than those on Earth and Mars, standing 2-2.5 meters tall, and have brittle bones from growing up in low gravity. As a consequence, they cannot survive in Earth's gravity for very long. However, Belters recover faster than Earthers after periods of high-G. Belters also have elongated limbs and enlarged craniums. These physical differences along with cultural and language difference cause Belters to be dehumanized and regarded as second-class citizens by many Earth and Mars residents, since they superficially seem to be a deviation from the species norms of humans.

Despite this, it is still possible for Belters to mitigate the negative effects of low-g, particularly through exercise and steroids. Belters that do hard physical labor, such as vacuum welders, tend to be stocky and raw-boned, while certain Belters are even described as muscular, such as Cyn (an OPA operative).

Language Belters speak Belter Creole, a patóis of the languages spoken by the original settlers of the Belt. Depending on the social status of the speaker, this can be nearly impossible for non-Belters to understand. They also have a variety of physical gestures not shared by people from the inner planets, due to the need for non-verbal communication during spacewalks.

https://expanse.fandom.com/wiki/Asteroid_Belt

The Belt was colonized by humans roughly 150 BXT, after the invention of the Epstein Drive by the Martian engineer Solomon Epstein. In exchange for their independence, Mars thereafter shared the Epstein-technology with Earth, leading to exploitation of resources and later to colonization of asteroids and moons in the belt and the outer system by the two superpowers. People born on the colonized asteroids are called Belters.

Drive

James S. A. Corey Publication date November 27, 2012 March 15, 2022

Number in series 0.1 Pages 20

Leviathan Wakes

James S. A. Corey Publication date June 2, 2011 Number in series 1 Pages 582 ISBN 978-0-316-12908-4

Caliban's War

Author James S. A. Corey Publication date June 26, 2012 Number in series 2 Pages 595 ISBN 978-1-84149-990-1

Others

https://sfdictionary.com/view/337/

The term Belter is present in the Star Wars franchise. It was first used in the Expanded Universe materials, which are since 2014, no longer considered to be canonical. In them, it was a profession of asteroid miners performed by Ugnaughts, species of workers and scavengers, that were short humanoids with pig-like faces. It was introduced in the Galaxy Guide 2: Yavin and Bespin, a 1989 supplement to Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game.^[3]^[4] The term had been re-introduced to Star Wars franchise, in the canonical material, in 2023, in the third season of The Mandalorian television series, in "Chapter 17: The Apostate". In it, Belters were mentioned to be asteroid miners in asteroid fields at the edge of star system of planet Navarro. The episode also depicted said mining operations.^[5]