I'm generally considered the literary snob, though I don't mean to appear as such - I end up reading classics in literature because I really don't know where else to start. So I put away the Faulkner and Wharton and go into sci-fi and fantasy. I have to say this. I just have to. Even though Brad and Andy are going to swat me when they read this.
Fantasy novels are the male equivalent of bodice-rippers for women.
They're changed for men's tastes. The plots are more complex, and the writing is usually a bit better, but the endpoint is the same. There's not a damn thing wrong with escapism. It's healthy, it's fun, and it's a great way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon. But most of my men-friends are fantasy novel readers, and that amuses me greatly.