The treasure fleets were going to be the subject of my thesis, had I stayed in school. I find the idea of finding fourteenth century artifacts from China on (s

The treasure fleets were going to be the subject of my thesis, had I stayed in school. I find the idea of finding fourteenth century artifacts from China on (say) Zanzibar one of the coolest things imaginable. I also really like that the ships were abandoned. The cultural turn and dynastic politics required are also really fascinating. The treasure fleets play a role in Kim Stanley Robinson's Years Of Rice And Salt, which is a counterfactual history book that was right in my wheelhouse, much more interesting than German Zombie Nazis take over Mars or what have you.