diff --git a/examples/array.sy b/examples/array.sy
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7a4352e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/array.sy
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# Create an array with just some numbers
+{ 1 2 3 }
+println!
+
+[ :x x x ] :dup
+# Call some functions
+{ 1 dup! dup! }
+println!
+
+# Call your own functions, why not?
+{
+    [ 2 *! ] :double
+    1 dup! double! dup! double!
+}
+println!
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/obj/array.rs b/src/obj/array.rs
index e69de29..e02583d 100644
--- a/src/obj/array.rs
+++ b/src/obj/array.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+use crate::obj::prelude::*;
+use crate::syn::span::Span;
+use crate::vm::{error::*, machine::Machine};
+use gc::{Finalize, Gc, Trace};
+
+pub type Array = Vec<ObjPtr>;
+
+#[derive(Debug, Trace, Finalize)]
+pub struct ArrayObj {
+    value: Array,
+    vtable: VTable,
+}
+
+thread_local! {
+    static VTABLE: VTable = VTableBuilder::default()
+        .with_builtin("__str__", |machine, reentry| {
+            // stack (top to bottom):
+            // - array[i].__str__
+            // - array[i]
+            // - array
+            // - int i
+            // - working string
+
+            // TODO - re-implement this in the language itself ffs
+            // TODO - catch array recursion
+            const INNER_BEGIN: usize = 1;
+            const INNER_END: usize = 2;
+            match reentry {
+                0 => {
+                    let array = machine.stack_pop()?;
+                    let index = IntObj::new(0);
+                    let working = StrObj::new(String::new());
+                    machine.stack_push(working)?;
+                    machine.stack_push(index)?;
+                    machine.stack_push(array)?;
+                    // this will basically just dump us down below, except
+                    // slower and kludgier and just worse overall
+                    Ok(BuiltinExit::Resume(INNER_BEGIN))
+                }
+                INNER_BEGIN => {
+                    machine.stack();
+                    let array_obj = machine.stack_pop()?;
+                    let index_obj = machine.stack_pop()?;
+                    // cast the array and index to their appropriate types
+                    let array = array_obj.as_any().downcast_ref::<ArrayObj>()
+                        .ok_or_else(|| RuntimeError::WrongValue("array".to_string()))?;
+                    let index_int = index_obj.as_any().downcast_ref::<IntObj>()
+                        .ok_or_else(|| RuntimeError::WrongValue("int".to_string()))?;
+                    let index = index_int.value() as usize;
+                    if array.value().len() <= index {
+                        // done iterating, exit
+                        return Ok(BuiltinExit::Return);
+                    }
+                    // get the current item from the array, push the index and
+                    // array back onto the stack
+                    let item = Gc::clone(array.value().get(index).unwrap());
+                    machine.stack_push(index_obj)?;
+                    machine.stack_push(array_obj)?;
+
+                    // push the array item at the current index to the stack
+                    let str_fun = item.get("__str__")
+                        .ok_or_else(|| RuntimeError::UnsetWord("__str__".to_string()))?;
+                    machine.stack_push(item)?;
+                    // call the __str__ item
+                    str_fun.call(None, machine)?;
+                    Ok(BuiltinExit::Resume(INNER_END))
+                }
+                INNER_END => {
+                    machine.stack();
+                    // get the returned string, add it to the accumulator
+
+                    let returned_obj = machine.stack_pop()?;
+                    let returned = returned_obj.as_any().downcast_ref::<StrObj>()
+                        .ok_or_else(|| RuntimeError::WrongValue("str".to_string()))?;
+
+                    let array_obj = machine.stack_pop()?;
+                    let index_obj = machine.stack_pop()?;
+                    let index = index_obj.as_any().downcast_ref::<IntObj>()
+                        .ok_or_else(|| RuntimeError::WrongValue("int".to_string()))?;
+
+                    let working_obj = machine.stack_pop()?;
+                    let working = working_obj.as_any().downcast_ref::<StrObj>()
+                        .ok_or_else(|| RuntimeError::WrongValue("str".to_string()))?;
+
+                    let new_str = StrObj::new(format!("{}{}", working.value(), returned.value()));
+                    // index gets incremented here
+                    let new_index = IntObj::new(index.value() + 1);
+
+                    machine.stack_push(new_str)?;
+                    machine.stack_push(new_index)?;
+                    machine.stack_push(array_obj)?;
+                    Ok(BuiltinExit::Resume(INNER_BEGIN))
+                }
+                _ => unreachable!()
+            }
+            /*
+            let obj_ptr: ObjPtr = machine.stack_pop()?;
+            let obj: &(dyn Obj + 'static) = &*obj_ptr;
+            if let Some(int) = obj.as_any().downcast_ref::<IntObj>() {
+                let string = StrObj::new(int.value.to_string());
+                machine.stack_push(string)?;
+                Ok(BuiltinExit::Return)
+            } else {
+                Err(RuntimeError::WrongValue("int".to_string()))
+            }
+            */
+        })
+        .finish();
+}
+
+impl ArrayObj {
+    pub fn new(value: Array) -> Gc<Self> {
+        Gc::new(Self {
+            value,
+            vtable: VTABLE.with(Clone::clone),
+        })
+    }
+
+    pub fn value(&self) -> &Array {
+        &self.value
+    }
+}
+
+impl Obj for ArrayObj {
+    fn vtable(&self) -> &VTable {
+        &self.vtable
+    }
+
+    fn vtable_mut(&mut self) -> &mut VTable {
+        &mut self.vtable
+    }
+
+    fn call(&self, call_site: Option<Span>, _machine: &mut Machine) -> Result<()> {
+        Err(RuntimeError::CannotCall("array value".to_string()).with_location(call_site))
+    }
+
+    fn as_any(&self) -> &(dyn std::any::Any + 'static) {
+        self
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/obj/mod.rs b/src/obj/mod.rs
index f56844e..9c573fc 100644
--- a/src/obj/mod.rs
+++ b/src/obj/mod.rs
@@ -79,5 +79,8 @@ pub trait Obj: Trace + Finalize + Debug {
         self.vtable_mut().insert(key, value)
     }
 
+    /// Gets this object as an `Any`.
+    ///
+    /// This is useful for downcasting to expected values.
     fn as_any(&self) -> &(dyn Any + 'static);
 }
diff --git a/src/syn/parser.pest b/src/syn/parser.pest
index 54ba63c..235e7f2 100644
--- a/src/syn/parser.pest
+++ b/src/syn/parser.pest
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ assign = { ":" ~ word }
 atom = { float | int | assign | word | str | apply }
 quote = { "[" ~ stmt* ~ "]" }
 array = { "{" ~ stmt* ~ "}" }
-expr = { atom | quote }
+expr = { atom | quote | array }
 include = { "%include" ~ str }
 stmt = { include | expr }
 
diff --git a/src/vm/error.rs b/src/vm/error.rs
index 264c8ab..6ea8eaf 100644
--- a/src/vm/error.rs
+++ b/src/vm/error.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ pub enum RuntimeError {
     #[error("expected {0}")]
     WrongValue(String),
 
+    #[error("underflow when trying to finalize a new array (stack was smaller than when array creation began)")]
+    ArrayUnderflow,
+
     #[error("at {0}")]
     Span(Span, Box<RuntimeError>),
 }
diff --git a/src/vm/machine.rs b/src/vm/machine.rs
index 7bd1ccc..98a68ea 100644
--- a/src/vm/machine.rs
+++ b/src/vm/machine.rs
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ pub struct Machine {
     quote_table: QuoteTable,
     scope_stack: ScopeStack,
     call_stack: Vec<Frame>,
+    array_marker_stack: Vec<usize>,
 }
 
 impl Machine {
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ impl Machine {
             quote_table: Default::default(),
             scope_stack,
             call_stack: Default::default(),
+            array_marker_stack: Default::default(),
         }
     }
 
@@ -296,10 +298,16 @@ impl Machine {
                 value.call(Some(inst.span().clone()), self)?;
             }
             Inst::BeginArray => {
-                todo!()
+                self.array_marker_stack.push(self.stack().len());
             }
             Inst::EndArray => {
-                todo!()
+                let array_start = self.array_marker_stack.pop().expect("expected array end");
+                if self.stack().len() <= array_start + 1 {
+                    return Err(RuntimeError::ArrayUnderflow);
+                }
+                let array = self.stack_mut().split_off(array_start);
+                let array_obj = ArrayObj::new(array);
+                self.stack_push(array_obj)?;
             }
         };