In praise of escapist fiction

 I think this is the biggest compliment to an author I have ever heard.

My brother in law was in a motorcycle accident which involved getting his head rammed halfway down into his ribcage, and needed to spend some weeks sitting and sleeping in a special chair. A friend of his brought him Stephen King's Dark Tower series, which clocks in at 3712 pages. B.I.L. says he spent 18 hours a day for three weeks and got through the entire series - it was the only way he could escape from the physical pain.

I find this particularly moving in light of Stephen King's encounter with a van being driven by a man who was was trying to keep his Dobermans away from some steaks. King had a long, long road to recovery after the incident.