Stories offering element of thrill or escapism (4)
I believe the answer is:
lore
'stories' is the definition.
(I've seen this in other clues)
'element of thrill or escapism' is the wordplay.
'element of' indicates a hidden word (I've seen this in other clues).
'LORE' is hidden in the letters of 'thrill or escapism'.
'offering' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for lore that I've seen before include "old-fashioned thong" , "Body of knowledge" , "Mythology" , "Wisdom" , "Folk myths" .)