Conan Tillman

Conan Tillman was a hippie who moved to a commune in Topanga Canyon sometime around 1970, and never left. He and his wife ran a shop which sold candles and pots, and occasionally marijuana on the side.

When The Change transformed the world, Topanga's rustic nature allowed most of its population to survive the Great Southern California Dieoff. However, Conan Tillman was doomed by his addiction to tobacco, which had caused him to contract lung cancer. He consumed large quantities of marijuana and opium for comfort, and died in less pain than he would have without it.

Conan's son Jared and grandson Connor became important political and military figures in Topanga's history. Connor named his son Conan in honor of the late patriarch, although foreigners naturally assumed it was for the legendary Cimmerian. This information comes from The Desert and the Blade by S.M. Stirling, the 12th volume of the Emberverse. Jared's father is referenced but not named in Harry Turtledove's "Topanga and the Chatsworth Lancers."