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It has eval but it lacks reader macros (or at least it did thirty years ago) which is what makes eval useful on lisp2 systems.

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I'm interested in reading more about how reader macros make `eval` better/useful.

R5RS supports reader macros? Which would be 1998, and I guess only 28 years ago.

That's why SRFI-49 and its descendants were a possibility. Wisp, JavaScript, brainfuck, etc. implementations all exist because the tools exist in the language.

It does not. https://conservatory.scheme.org/schemers/Documents/Standards... Particular implementations could.

That document, shows several forms:

https://conservatory.scheme.org/schemers/Documents/Standards...

Common Lisp reader macros hook into the reader itself as it's parsing S-exps and meets some character combination: http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/iiip/doc/CommonLISP/HyperSpec... Define-syntax is for making special forms (i.e. normal macros).

Not that I know why eval should be paired with reader macros.

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