Golden Years.

 "I first read science fiction in the old British Chum annual when I was about 12 years old."

A. E. Van Vogt, The Weinberg Interview

From a scholarly perspective, the Golden Age of Science Fiction is considered to run from 1938 to 1946, at least in the United States, and at least according to Wikipedia.

However, there's an alternate position. Reactor Mag (née tor.com) recently reminded us that many years ago, SF fan Peter Scott Graham commented that "The golden age of science fiction is 12."  (Alternate versions cite 13, but still.)*  It feels like one of those facile statements that would look good on a t-shirt, but it's easy to see the point that Mr. Graham was making.

Glibness aside, let's for a moment take it as a definitive measurement, in terms of what novels came out in 1973, when I was 12?  To be fair to all parties, we'll let the clock run to the end of 1974, since my birthday is in September.

A little research reveals a surprisingly prestigious lineup. 

1973 saw the publication of the following classic novels, featuring some of the most famous science fiction authors, almost all of which have a place in my little library at home:

• The Man Who Folded Himself, by David Gerrold
• Bloodhype, by Alan Dean Foster
• Crash, by J. G. Ballard
• Hiero's Journey, by Sterling E. Lanier
• The People of the Wind, by Poul Anderson
• Protector, by Larry Niven
• Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke (which won the Hugo Award for Best Novel)
  
• Star Smashers of the Galaxy Rangers, by Harry Harrison
• Time Enough for Love, by Robert A. Heinlein
• To Die in Italbar, by Roger Zelazny
• Sky Pirates of Callisto, by Terry Carr
• And a trio of Antares/Scorpio novels: The Suns of Scorpio, Swordships of Scorpio, and Warrior of Scorpio, by Kenneth Bulmer writing as Alan Burt Akers

1974 does just as well in terms of classics and well-known names:

• The Centauri Device, by M. John Harrison**
• Dhalgren, by Samuel R. Delaney
• The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. Le Guin (Hugo for Best Novel) ***
  
• The Fall of Chronopolis, by Barrington J. Bayley
  
• The Godwhale, by T. J. Bass
  
• The Land Leviathan, by Michael Moorcock
• Icerigger, by Alan Dean Foster
• The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman
• Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said, by Philip K. Dick
• The Last Canadian, by William C. Heine
  
• The Mote in God's Eye, by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven
  
• Inverted World, by Christopher Priest
  
• A Song for Lya, by George R. R. Martin
  
• And three more by Alan Burt Akers/Bulmer: Prince of Scorpio, Manhounds of Antares, and Arena of Antares****

It's a bit surprising to see that each of these lists covers a single year, it's such a wide-ranging selection of authors and styles.  Some of my favourite books are represented here, which certainly feels like proof of concept for the whole "golden-age-is-12" hypothesis - and, a bit sadly, it all makes me aware of the fact that it's been 50 years since I was 12, which puts me squarely in the silver age, at least in terms of hair colour.

- Sid

* There's a surprising amount of debate regarding this simple statement, which has been attributed to several people and several dates over the years.  Short answer, very probably Peter Scott Graham, and somewhat probably around 1960.

** Not well known, but definitely one of my top ten favourite books, along with his 1971 novel, The Pastel City.

*** And, AND, she also won best short story for The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas in 1973, another classic entry for the Golden Age score card.

**** If anyone is surprised to see six of these novels over a two year period, you probably haven't read any of them. They're enthusiastic pastiches of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars series that have an entertaining creative life of their own - they're probably not for everyone, but I have fond memories of discovering the series.  Honestly, I suspect that Kenneth Bulmer could knock one of them off in two or three months without breaking a sweat.