In various
science fiction universes, such as
Niven's Known Space and
Bjorn-Erik Townsend's Proxima Shared Universe, the term "Belter" is used to refer to inhabitants of the
Asteroid Belt. Belters often exemplify a
pioneer spirit, preferring the
haphazardness of their tumbling environs to the stability of a
planet-bound life.
One extremely atypical strain of Belters are Pat Murphy's norbits, from There and Back Again. Modeled on Tolkien's hobbits, they are fond of home and comfort to a degree quite alien to most authors' conceptions of a Belter culture.