He was famous for not suffering fools gladly and for his outspoken nature, which has led to more than his share of high-profile feuds. The most famous was with
Star Trek (1966) creator
Gene Roddenberry, who had Ellison's famous television script (
The City on the Edge of Forever (1967)) rewritten to fit with Roddenberry's vision. Roddenberry would not allow him to put his pseudonym "Cordwainer Bird" on the project. To add insult to injury, for the rest of his life Roddenberry took credit for having "saved" the story, which is consistently ranked as the best of the series by critics and fans and as one of TV's 100 greatest moments by "TV Guide" (July 1, 1995).
