landlander

Landlander is a term used in science fiction and fantasy to describe inhabitants or groups associated with land-based environments. The word is a compound of land and lander, conveying affiliation with terrestrial realms and often contrasting with sea-dwelling or air-dwelling peoples. Because it is not tied to a single canonical work, landlander is largely a generic demonym employed by authors to differentiate communities by their geographic or cultural ties to the land.

In many settings, Landlanders are depicted as agrarian or settlement-oriented societies that value land rights, local governance, and stewardship of territories. They may organize around villages, farms, or urban districts and incorporate technologies and practices linked to land use, such as irrigation, terracing, or fortifications built from local stone. The term can carry political or cultural overtones, signaling belonging, heritage, or contested ownership of land.

Use and variation: Since landlander is a flexible label rather than a fixed character type, its meaning shifts with context. Some authors treat Landlanders as peaceful stewards of their landscapes, others cast them as resilient settlers facing environmental pressures, resource scarcity, or encroachment by external powers. The concept serves as a convenient foil or partner to other land-or water-based groups in world-building.

See also: demonyms, terra, denizens of land.