“Songs for a Mechanical Age” is a collection of poetry, music, and sound effects. The poetry, except for one piece by the great Victorian Era laureate, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, is the original work of Stephen Sanders. Sanders appears and performs as the "Steampunk poet." The music includes original pieces by the incredible Kevin MacLeod. You can find more of his work at incompetech.com. The sound effects and the engineering of the whole is the work of the talented Kevin Perkins of Seadog Studios in Grapevine, Texas. Combined, we three have created an extremely varied collection of spoken word, music, and effects. Variously moving, frightening, funny, sad, and exhilarating, these recorded thoughts are intended to convey the essence of the genre known as Steampunk. Some were written with specific characters or stories in mind; others were written in an effort to create a unique aesthetic which, hopefully, will appeal to the many who already enjoy the Clockwork Age and to those who will eventually come to enjoy it. We also hope that this CD will appeal to poetry lovers and those that enjoy a good tale, well told. Finally, many very special thanks to Kevin Perkins, Kevin MacLeod, the fine folks at the ADS Group in Plymouth, Minnesota, and, of course, to you, the listener. The CD contains twenty-nine original poems, primarily triolets. This recording also includes a recitation of “Blow, Bugle, Blow” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Created in an attempt to fashion a body of poetry which encompasses the aesthetics of the Steampunk culture, these works feature poems entitled “Steampunk Nation,” “The Summer of 1899,” “The Metal Age,” “The Vapor Phase,” “Time Untamed,” and “The Clockwork Man.” “Follow me . . . into the night, and I’ll take you where you want to go . . .”