MEET FREDRIK EKMAN

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Fredrik Ekman first discovered Edgar Rice Burroughs when he read the Tarzan and John Carter comics, and later some of the Tarzan books, as a kid. His flame to fandom was lit when he stumbled across The Gods of Mars in his late teens, and he has been an avid fan ever since.

Fredrik lives in Sweden where he works as a language teacher and author. He has been active in ERB fandom since the mid 1990s, when he joined the ERB-list mailing list. Later, he became a contributor to ERBzine and, in particular, ERB-APA, where he has been an active member since 2006. He has written dozens of ERB-related articles, and he has also authored the book Jetan: The Martian Chess of Edgar Rice Burroughshttps://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/jetan/ (McFarland, 2022), the first book ever about Edgar Rice Burroughs’ chesslike game jetan.

In his spare time, Fredrik is a singer and a martial artist. He has been singing since about age four in many different choirs, including the male voice choir Orphei Drängar, one of Sweden’s most prestigious choirs. Fredrik is also a choir leader, and has conducted several choirs.

Fredrik has been a martial artist through most of his adult life, since the early 1990s, and he specialises in ju-jutsu. He has a third dan black belt in ju-jutsu, and has practiced several other styles as well. He is a certified instructor at the local martial arts club.

Fredrik lives with his wife and two daughters in the Swedish highlands of Småland, in the small town of Nässjö.

The first book ever about Edgar Rice Burroughs’ game jetan.

Fredrik involved with tameshigiri, 
which involves cutting straw mats with a sharp sword. 
Photo © 2011 Caroline Lindholm, all rights reserved.

Fredrik conducting a choir during an outdoor performance. 
Photo © 2015 Ann-Sofie Ekman, all rights reserved.