Rand World Building Handbook

[Russ]

This classic reference text for hard SF writers (I know this is a fantasy site but if you have visited this forum recently you know why I am posting this here) is now available for free.

My good friend and great SF author said this about it:

Robert J. Sawyer
35 mins ·
Do you write hard SF set in other solar systems? Then you should have a copy of the 1964 RAND Corporation study HABITABLE PLANETS FOR MAN by Stephen H. Dole -- and now you can, for free. This is it, folks, the world-building bible; I paid a fortune years ago for a used hard copy … Enjoy!

Here is the link:

Habitable Planets for Man | RAND

 

[ThinkerX]

I remember this from way, way back. It was the standard in the field for decades.