Anything Varley has ever written falls into the category you’re looking at I think.
Wizard, Demon, and Titan especially.
Varley? Trashy? :dubious: Maybe we need a good working definition of “trashy” here. To my mind, “trashy” means the fantasy equivalent of “Tobacco Road” or “Valley of the Dolls” – something cheap and sensationalistic that relies on stereotypes, sleaze and so forth. Does not describe Varley, I think.
I don’t think of writers like Beagle and Powers when I think of “trashy”. They’re quite accomplished and respected authors.
When I want quick fantasy reading I usually go for the old school pulpy stuff, like R.E. Howard or C.L. Moore. Also, while I wouldn’t call Michael Moorcock trashy, a lot of his stuff is short and easy to get into (though he tends to have disappointing endings). Also recommend Fritz leiber if you want more heroic fantasy/sword & sorcery.
For pure escapism with dragons and other clichéd fantasy monsters, there are hundreds of D&D and Warhammer books out there, but quality varies, and some are bad even as pure entertainment. Depends on how much you can stomach the clichés (personally, when it comes to fantasy I can stomach a lot, but some of them are a bit too clichéd and mindless).
How about Harry Turtledove’s series about WWII? The name escapes me, and it might not be “trashy”, but it’s pretty good.
Steel Beach? Blue Champagne?
All campy/trashy in my book. Great stuff, but certainly cheap and sleazy.
FWIW, that’s not the sort of trashy I had in mind. Hence asked for ‘good’ trashy fiction. Essentially, not serious literature, but well-written books telling good stories. Like the Vorkosigan series, or some of the Star Wars books by particular authors - Timothy Zahn, Aaron Aallston. Or Novik, Lynch in recent Fantasy authors.
First Tim Powers I read was On Stranger Tides and picked it up because of reading that the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie (which wasn’t very good) had optioned the book to take some ideas from it. (The list of awards for the writer didn’t hurt.) Indeed, if you’ve seen the movie and then read the book, you can see some of the same ideas, but the book was a much more enjoyable read than watching that movie.
How the hell is Steel Beach cheap or sleazy or trashy? Varley DOES reference Heinlein a lot. But Steel Beach is a well-imagined society, great characters. And as a nitpick, it’s not fantasy, but science fiction.
It’s been too long since I’ve read Blue Champagne, but I do remember enjoying it.
OK, have you read Lawrence Watt-Evan’s Ethshar series? This is exactly what you’re looking for. For the most part, you don’t have to read the books in order, although some of the later books will reference the earlier books.
As far as star wars, I like the Darth Bane books.
He’s had two - one with the Confederate States, and another with aliens:
World at War. Magic and stuff. Had to look it up.
If magically enhanced assassins float your fantasy reading boat then I’d suggest Brent Week’s Night Angel Trilogy.
A friend lent them to me and I read them with no expectations (I’d not even heard of the author before); I found them pretty un-put-down-able.
Once note though: I really wouldn’t want to be a character written by Mr. Weeks… he’s more than a little hard on many of them. 
ZOMG, you mean I’m NOT the only person to find those books twee???
I’ve been feeling a tiny bit guilty because I didn’t like them. Thank dog I’m not alone!
The Eyre Affair was certainly more than a wee bit twee.
I recommend Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind and its sequel, assuming you like TNOTW, The Wise Man’s Fear.
While I am a huge fan and recommend the book highly - I just don’t think of it as *trashy *fantasy.
May not be another Miles book; the last one was by far the worst, and I think she’s getting tired of him.
You really should give Chalion a try. It’s not like Miles at all. IMO the first (the Curse) is not only Bujold’s best book (and I’ve read them all), but my favorite book of all time. I reread it about once a year. The second is average for Bujold, which is pretty good. The third was the worst Bujold I’ve ever read, even worse than her last Miles book. Note that they are not a trilogy. Although it certainly helps to read the first before the second, they are stand-alone. Nothing can help the third.
You might also try “The Spirit Ring,” a Bujold semi-fantasy set in Renaissance times. In fact, now that I’m reminded of it, I think I’ll read it again.
You must have missed the line in the OP. I have read and loved the NOTW. It was the book that I recommended to people the most. I was a massive Rothfuss fanboy, going as far as to buy(for his worldbuilders charity) a 100$ signed copy of the humorous college articles he wrote. I was so convinced he could do no wrong. And then he went and published WMF. I have no words for how much that book disappointed me. Page after page of Rothfuss’ beautiful writing all squandered in one of the most horrifically plotted, least story advancing 1000+ page tomes that it has ever been my misfortune to come across. I no longer even recommend NOTW because I have no idea what he’s going to do with the story, and no more faith that it’s going to be something good.
With such a strong recommendation, yeah I’ll read The curse of Chalion 
I didn’t miss it. I was pointing out that I don’t consider Rothfuss to be trashy.
Sorry to intrude your thread - I won’t do so again.