Terms for people born/raised in space?

[psikeyhackr]

I have seen plenty of stories where spacer is simply the equivalent of sailor here on Earth.

The word you use may depend on whether your story is interstellar or merely interplanetary.

 

[hitmouse]

A floater is something that will not flush down the toilet. Not a particularly good term unless there is humour or sarcasm involved.

 

[Phyrebrat]

You could call your spacers Vaccers, or Vaxers perhaps?

 

[Ori Vandewalle]

A floater is something that will not flush down the toilet. Not a particularly good term unless there is humour or sarcasm involved.

Or what I've got in my eye.

 

[hitmouse]

Or what I've got in my eye.

Good grief man, that is revolting. See a doctor immediately.

 

[Ori Vandewalle]

See a doctor immediately.

I would, but... there's something in my eye.

(And in case you're not joking, I mean this.)

 

[Ray Zdybrow]

Might depend on who is using the term (or who created it). The folks born planet-side might use a different term than what the space-born themselves would use.

So, if there is conflict in your story, the planet-born might use a pejorative term for the space-born. If there is no artificial gravity on their ships/stations, you could have them called 'floaters'. If they use spin to provide a bit of artificial gravity, you could have the planet-born call them 'spinners'. Or maybe their physical differences would be referenced - the 'lean', the 'weaklings'.

If it's something they call themselves, or if there's peace between all peoples, then I like paranoid marvin's 'drifters'. Maybe 'voiders'? But it might depend on who is using the term, and what is happening in the story.

"Skinnies" is the "racist" term used in The Expanse

 

[Cat's Cradle]

"Skinnies" is the "racist" term used in The Expanse

Ah, I see. I haven't experienced The Expanse (I'd bet almost all of the terms mentioned have been used before, somewhere), CC

 

[Droflet]

Or you could go the dead simple route. Space Born.

 

[Dan Jones]

A floater is something that will not flush down the toilet. Not a particularly good term unless there is humour or sarcasm involved.

Floater is also the term used for the aliens in Tade Thompson's Rosewater books. And judging by the description they do look like something that ought to be tackled with a bucket full of bleach and a darn good flush.

Some of the aliens in the X-Com series are also called floaters.

Off-worlders seems like a good bet, but I always liked the sound of "stellars". I also like Stellas, but only when I'm watching the football.

 

[DrStrangelove]

I would ask myself two questions:

1. Is it a term that the space people use by themselves, and hence probably invented themselves, or is it a term that is used by outsiders (and hence can be derrogatory, diminutive or just ignorant in nature), and

2. Is it supposed to flash out some particular aspect of living in space, e.g. a particular lifestyle, unique trait, a place that those people inhabit the most.

In Mobile Suit Gundam, Spacenoid is used for the genral population living outsode of the Earth's surface, and is used both by spacenoids themselves and by the inhabitants of Earth (except on Earth it is a derrogatory term). In W40k RPG games, a term Void-born is used for people that are specifically born and spend most of their lives in space, not those who inhabit space stations and space ships in general, and has no positive or negative connotations.

If I would create, for example, a name for people inhabiting mainly the Moon, it would be Lunies for a derogatory meaning (sounds like a loonie) and Lunars for use by the Moon people themselves.