Short Srory Review: Cool Air

One of Lovecraft's forgotten stories, "Cool Air" is more in line of his more scifi stories such as " Reanimator." After re-reading the short story, it reminded me of HG Well's "The Invisible Man." It has that same sense of discovery over time, although Lovecraft's work is much shorter. Our narrator recalls how the feeling of cold air brings an unearthly chill to him. After moving into a new apartment, our narrator is hit with a heart attack. He's saved by a doctor on the floor above. While in his room, the narrator notes the cold temperature of the room but discounts it having any meaning. The two strike up a friendship and the narrator helps the doctor make the room colder and colder until only the lab and bathroom are left alone so the pipes won't freeze. During their talks, the narrator sees the doctor become more erratic and insane. He talks about the medical miracles of defying death and of preserving human remains. One day the pump to the air conditioner breaks and the doctor begs the narrator for ice. By the time he returns, the narrator finds the doctor dead with a hastily-written note. The note reveals the doctor to have been dead for eighteen years and he has been stalling death with cold air and sheer willpower. 

While not one his more memorable stories, Lovecraft still brings his vast vocabulary to work. I had to pause and think about so.e of the words he was using. I'm used to Lovecraft to the point I can get the gist of what he's saying without a dictionary. But one of the themes that struck me was how quickly the narrator and doctor became friends. No names are used in this story, which is probably due to its length as Lovecraft may have realized names were pointless. But in his letters he describes how he often searches for the right kind of name for his characters. Friendship between two intellectuals is something he's shared before in other stories. I imagine Lovecraft was almost snooty to the point that he didn't want to deal with people he perceived to be dumber than himself. And this is coming from a guy who couldn't finish high school. To me, it feels like he's trying to reach out with his stories to others who share similar interests. Lovecraft based one of his stories on Nicholai Tesla so it's possible he rubbed shoulders, or tried to meet with the movers and shakers of the time. 

I should mention that it's not a particular good story. "Reanimator" has more build up and a better pay off. There's a personal note to it because Lovecrafr himself notes that he was sensitive to cold. I heard that both Poe and Machen play a role in the inspiration. Poe's "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" and Machen's "The Novel in the White Powder" have some influence, neither of which i recall reading. I'll add the to the list of things to read.