Whose Fault Is That yesterday published an extensive interview with Chris Wayan, builder of worlds. WFIT asks him where he discovered world building, to which he responds:
Science fiction and fantasy. The term is common in sf circles, though of course they usually mean building a world entirely of words. On the physical side, I think I was most influenced by Poul Anderson and (more recently) Kim Stanley Robinson in his Mars books; they showed how planetary-scale factors interact to shape quite local matters–even the shapes of bodies. On the sociological/cultural side (and also presentation and style!), Le Guin and Tolkien were my role models. They all kept it just words on a page, though.
This dude goes way beyond words on a page. Note the lyrelaffs in the graphic above. WFIT recommends losing yourself on his website for hours on end some time. Read on. (Full disclosure: I haven’t actually read the whole thing yet, for it is looong and I am fresh out of Adderall.)
Hah! You really do have ADD.