I've been here for thirty five years now, and in that time I've had my share of life-fulfilling experiences, but the bottom line is that reality is very limited, hindered by gravity, the cycle of the ocean, the routine of work, the significance of dates, etc.
The fantasy/sci-fi/horror cannon is not bound to these laws and rules and proceedures that we adhere to, and that's what so fascinating about the genre.
Now, although I've read some autobiographies (Sir David Attenborough, John Peel) and almost all of Elmore Leonard's catalogue, I generally find books that lie outwith the F/SF/H genres to be trapped by logic and sensibility, which invariably make them predictable no matter how many twists and turns the plot throws up.
Regardless of whether you know who the murderer is in a crime novel, it will be a human, and it will take place in familiar settings. These limitations make a story feel as though it is on rails, for me, and unable to throw up real surprises and shocking revelations because of it.
It may be my own issue, but I simply cannot understand people who avoid the F/SF/H genres because they are 'unrealistic.' To me, that is showing a real fear of imagination, and an unwillingness to explore. I bet the subconscious terrifies these people!
Anyway, that's my rant over. The bottom line for me is that escapism should be just that. I can't think of anything more dull than reading 'by the numbers' books.