The Astrobiology Primer: An Outline of General Knowledge – Version 1, 2006 to give it its full title, is a goodie I came across recently while trying to figure out how dry a planet could be and still support life. It’s a multi-authored whistlestop outline of current knowledge and issues in astrobiology from the beginning of stars to the detection of life in space, intended as a starter for graduate students and other interested parties. Like SF writers.