Secrets of Onomatopoeia!

All these discreet sound effects are found italicized in The Magic Engineer by L.E. Modesitt (Tor 1994; page numbers from 1995 Orbit UK paperback edition, which may be identical). For best effects, read it aloud in sonorous tones, having first shackled your audience to their chairs. Research: Dave Langford.

4 ... clung ...

55 ... clickedy ... click ...

61 Flappppp ... thwipp ...

67 thunkkkk ... hhhnnnnn ...

68 ... hhhnnnn ... hhhhnnnn ... thump ... slurrppp ... thump ... thump ...

70 ... hhhhnnnnn ... thump ... thump ...

72 Thweeeeett ...

74 Wheeee ... eee ...

75 Whheeeee ...

77 Whheeee ... eeeee ...

78 Snick ... Whhsttttt ...

81 ... tu ... whuuuu ...

82 ... tu ... whuuuu ...

87 Whuuu ... uffffff ...

92 Thhuummpp ...

93 Whhhheeeeee ... rrrmmmmm ... rrrrmmmmm ... thrummmbblle ...

94 wehhhhheeeee ... cracccckkkkkk ... crackkkkk ...

99 Creeeeaaakkk ...

100 Creaaakkk.

104 Squeakkk ... Whhhsttt.

105 Squeaakkk ...

110 Click ... clickedy ... click ...

119 ooooo

120 oooo

126 Whhnnnnn ... nnnun ...

[A strange gap here: note the page numbers. Did our sensitive-eared author's mood change, or did a different copy-editor take over for a bit?]

222 burrruppp

261 Clunk!

274 Thrap ... thrap ...

278 Creakkkkk ...

295 Whuuuffff ...

314 crummp

359 Crummmppp ...

371 Whufffff ...

374 Whhnnnnn ...

375 Crummmpppp ...

376 Whuffff ...

383 Thrap ...

387 Clunnngggg ... clunnggg ...

412 Crack! Crack! Crack!

435 Creakkkk ...

480 thunk

492 ... clung ...

493 Clung ...

505 Wheeee ...

506 Whheeeee ... Whhheeeee ...

512 Keee ... aaa ... keee ... aaaa ... Keee ... aaaa ... keee ... aaaa ...

524 Crumpppp!!

527 Wheeennn ...

549 Thwannnnngggg ...

557 Wheee ... eeeee ...

566 Fwwuuuphhh ... fwuppp ... Fwwwuuuppphhh ... fwupp ... fwuppp ... Clunk ...

567 Creaakkkkk ... creeakkkk ... WHHHHHEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeee ...

570 terwhit

574 CRRRRRuuummmmmpppp!!!! CRRRRRuuummmmmpppp!!!! CRRRRRuuummmmmpppp!!!!

582 CRUUUMPPPPPP!!!!

588 Whheeee ...

585 terwhit

601 Terwhit ... terwhit.

611 Scccffff ...

624 Click ... click ... WHHHsssttt! Crack ... thump ... whummmmmmPPPPTTTTTTT ... EEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIiiii!

625 Thurrrrummmmmmmmmm ... thuruummmmm ...

628 fwwuuuphhh ... fwuppp ... Fwwwuuuppphhh ... fwuupp ... fwuppp ...

639 PHsssttttt ... PHHHssttttt ... Phhhssst ... platttt!!! Shhhh ... plattt ...

671 CRRRuuummmppp!

685 Gee–ahhh ...

741 Whhhsttttt ...

[TTHHHHEEEeeeeee ENNNNnnndd!!!]

Published in The New York Review of SF #86, October 1995.
Article Index • Home