[e12e]

Some excellent comments there.

Looking around a bit, I came across a couple of implementations that might be of interest for those wanting to mash up "some kind of system programming" and "scheme": Bigloo (interpret / compile to executables, java byte code or experimentally dot.net) and larceny (interpret / direct compile to machine code / optionally via c):

http://www-sop.inria.fr/mimosa/fp/Bigloo/

http://www.larcenists.org/

[metaobject]

I used Bigloo years ago to build Scheme bindings to a few of our C applications and libraries. It's so much more fun to script your applications - similar to how your can/could script The Gimp with SIOD (Scheme in one Defun) Scheme.

[cat199]

Chicken Scheme

https://www.call-cc.org/

is another good one - compiles to binary, many libraries (eggs)

[ClFromEmacs]

And can't compete in speed. But does have more libraries.

[WindowsFon4life]

Try building a modern project in either. Anything non-trivial will highlight where Gerbil stands out.

[e12e]

I'd be happy to see some example non-trivial, new(ish) projects in any scheme, actually.

Hop looks like one such project, I don't know if gerbil would be better as an underpinning than Bigloo?

https://github.com/manuel-serrano/hop