The novel “The Wooden Spaceships” by Bob Shaw was published for the first time in 1988. It’s the second book of the Land and Overland trilogy and follows “The Ragged Astronauts”.

It’s been 23 years since the survivors of Land arrived on the Overland and during that time only a small part of the planet was colonized. Toller Maraquine is no longer a boy but still has a bad temper that keeps on getting him into trouble. He crossed the line with his king but is saved by the news that someone has come from Land.

On the old world there are those who survived the attack of the pterthas rebuilding a society. Now their king intends to subjugate the people of Overland, with the aggravating circumstance that the contact with Land’s inhabitants is toxic because of the ptertha’s venom. The only hope is a war in the sky and Toller Maraquine must guide the construction of new airships and more.