The Faceless Thing We Adore

A bold cosmic horror debut by Hester Steel blending emotional depth with eerie supernatural elements.

In The Faceless Thing We Adore, Aoife––a thoughtful yet awkward protagonist tired of her unfulfilling life and manipulative relationship––leaves the mainland for the isolated Farmstead commune after visions and yearning for freedom take hold. At first, the commune’s charismatic residents and hedonistic charm make her feel alive and adored, offering a sense of belonging she’s never known. But an unsettling darkness soon emerges: unexplained cries at night, a forbidding cave no one dares enter, and an almost cult-like reverence for the enigmatic leader, Jonah. As Aoife’s old life catches up with her and tensions rise, loyalties fracture and reality itself feels poised to break. Haunted by the eerie tides of love, gaslighting, and cosmic dread, Aoife must confront both the external horrors of her surroundings and the internal battle for her own power and self-worth.