In the 80s I was flying every week and DC-10 was fairly often the equipment with the 707 being phased out. For a few months back then I was going through an irrational, white knuckle, period. As you observed, the DC-10 looked like an accident waiting to happen. To me that engine appeared to be as big as the rest of the plane and was was bound to fall off by it's sheer mass.

I was always happy to get an L-1011 because to me they just looked safer, in spite of being essentially the same principle.

As it turns out, the L-1011 was overall the better airplane with the engine more molded in than the DC-10.

I read somewhere, Lockheed should design them, Boeing should build them, and Douglas should market them.

The E-Thrust looks cool and safe but the long term safety record will tell the tale.