Regarding Alexis Kennedy, and the better people who outlasted him

[scrivespinster]

Alexis Kennedy, once of Failbetter Games, is a serial abuser and sexual predator. This has been corroborated by multiple trustworthy sources (see here, and here, and here, and here), and has apparently been an open secret in the industry for some time. I am angry and saddened by his contemptible behavior, but not at all sorry the truth is out, only that he was able to use his position to silence and harm so many women in the industry.

I support, respect, and admire Olivia Wood, Meg Jayanth, Emily Short, Cassandra Khaw, Leigh Alexander, and everyone else, at Failbetter or outside of it, who spoke up against Kennedy’s abuse. Integrity, courage and compassion are always more important than skill and creativity, but they have both. I’m also grateful for the hard work and brilliant writing that Wood, Jayanth, Short and others have poured into Fallen London and Sunless Sea; they’ve played a huge role in creating a world that I loved to inhabit.

Importantly, Failbetter Games is no longer affiliated with Alexis Kennedy in any way, and as far as I can tell, he does not currently make any profit off of their games (please correct me if I’m wrong). More importantly yet, it sounds as though the people there have done everything they could to protect their employees and make things right (see here, for example).

A city is never built by only one person, and neither is a company. Alexis Kennedy’s work is only part of Fallen London and Sunless Sea, and his role is long since over. Some of the best parts of those settings were written by others (not to mention the sheer excellence of Skies, by Olivia Wood, James Chew, and Chris Gardiner), and he doesn’t get credit for their work. What he deserves is to fade into insignificance. What those who survived him deserve is to thrive.

Aside from their work with Failbetter, the women listed above all have outside projects, some independent and some collaborative, all worth checking out:

https://www.oliviawood.co.uk/writing-and-narrative-design

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/80_Days_(2014_video_game)

https://emshort.blog/commercial-portfolio/

http://www.cassandrakhaw.net/games.php