[embedding-shape]

> If mainstream lisp dialects used square brackets instead, we'd all be programming in it!

You've almost convinced/nerd-sniped me to write a(nother) new lisp where we'll be using brackets for forms and lists and no parenthesis in sight. It's a wild theory.

[oifjoijoifj]

It's just a reader macro, parse out quotes, other reader macros, then replace [ -> (, ] -> ) in the rest and throw into (read).