Ecch! Ellison. Don’t get me wrong; I like to read his fiction. But anything the guy says self-referentially (90% of his rambling) should be taken as the musings of a man who is wistfully describing his one true love.
And Trek’s version is better than HE’s. HE’s version might be better as a story to be read, but it would make a really crappy episode of Trek. If he could divest himself of the opinion that his every turd is a golden nugget then he might see that he is writing with someone else’s characters, and in someone else’s universe. If something doesn’t jibe with that universe, then the owner has every right to make the changes they need to. Kirk attempting to save Edith Keeler is not appropriate to the character, period. Instead of enjoying the success of the episode, HE chose to be a pissy little whiner. If he were here arguing about it, Dopers would tell him to get off the f’ing cross already.