Paradise Lost by John Milton (1667/1674)

Before there was fantasy, there was Paradise Lost — a cosmic epic where Heaven, Hell, and the human heart collide. In this episode, we explore John Milton's 17th-century masterpiece, where Satan's rebellion, Adam and Eve's fall, and the struggle between pride and obedience unfold like the world's first blockbuster drama. Written in thunderous blank verse after Milton went blind, it's both poetry and prophecy — asking what freedom really means when even angels can fall. We'll trace how Milton turned the story of Genesis into a meditation on ambition, justice, and love's endurance after loss. It's not just the tale of humanity's first sin — it's the story of why we keep reaching for forbidden fruit.