diff --git a/compiler/kernel/vexpr.go b/compiler/kernel/vexpr.go
index cd42566cfa..4b0637e26d 100644
--- a/compiler/kernel/vexpr.go
+++ b/compiler/kernel/vexpr.go
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ func (b *Builder) compileVamExpr(e dag.Expr) (vamexpr.Evaluator, error) {
 		return b.compileVamRegexpSearch(e)
 	case *dag.RecordExpr:
 		return b.compileVamRecordExpr(e)
+	case *dag.SliceExpr:
+		return b.compileVamSliceExpr(e)
 	//case *dag.SetExpr:
 	//	return b.compileVamSetExpr(e)
 	//case *dag.MapCall:
@@ -73,12 +75,14 @@ func (b *Builder) compileVamExpr(e dag.Expr) (vamexpr.Evaluator, error) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (b *Builder) compileVamBinary(e *dag.BinaryExpr) (vamexpr.Evaluator, error) {
-	//XXX TBD
-	//if slice, ok := e.RHS.(*dag.BinaryExpr); ok && slice.Op == ":" {
-	//	return b.compileVamSlice(e.LHS, slice)
-	//}
+func (b *Builder) compileVamExprWithEmpty(e dag.Expr) (vamexpr.Evaluator, error) {
+	if e == nil {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+	return b.compileVamExpr(e)
+}
 
+func (b *Builder) compileVamBinary(e *dag.BinaryExpr) (vamexpr.Evaluator, error) {
 	//XXX TBD
 	//if e.Op == "in" {
 	// Do a faster comparison if the LHS is a compile-time constant expression.
@@ -277,6 +281,22 @@ func (b *Builder) compileVamSearch(search *dag.Search) (vamexpr.Evaluator, error
 	return vamexpr.NewSearch(search.Text, val, e), nil
 }
 
+func (b *Builder) compileVamSliceExpr(slice *dag.SliceExpr) (vamexpr.Evaluator, error) {
+	e, err := b.compileVamExpr(slice.Expr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	from, err := b.compileVamExprWithEmpty(slice.From)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	to, err := b.compileVamExprWithEmpty(slice.To)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return vamexpr.NewSliceExpr(b.zctx(), e, from, to), nil
+}
+
 func (b *Builder) compileVamArrayExpr(e *dag.ArrayExpr) (vamexpr.Evaluator, error) {
 	elems, err := b.compileVamListElems(e.Elems)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/runtime/sam/expr/slice.go b/runtime/sam/expr/slice.go
index 562bff084c..c8e028011b 100644
--- a/runtime/sam/expr/slice.go
+++ b/runtime/sam/expr/slice.go
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ func (s *Slice) Eval(ectx Context, this super.Value) super.Value {
 		}
 		to = length
 	}
+	if from > to || to > length || from < 0 {
+		return s.zctx.NewErrorf("slice out of bounds")
+	}
 	bytes := elem.Bytes()
 	switch super.TypeUnder(elem.Type()).(type) {
 	case *super.TypeOfBytes:
@@ -98,12 +101,6 @@ func sliceIndex(ectx Context, this super.Value, slot Evaluator, length int) (int
 	if index < 0 {
 		index += length
 	}
-	if index < 0 {
-		return 0, nil
-	}
-	if index > length {
-		return length, nil
-	}
 	return index, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/runtime/sam/expr/ztests/slice.yaml b/runtime/sam/expr/ztests/slice.yaml
index a67e6725b3..007b09ead1 100644
--- a/runtime/sam/expr/ztests/slice.yaml
+++ b/runtime/sam/expr/ztests/slice.yaml
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@ output: |
   {a1:null(bytes),a2:null(bytes),a3:null(bytes),a4:null(bytes),a5:null(bytes),a6:null(bytes),a7:null(bytes),a8:null}
   {a1:null(string),a2:null(string),a3:null(string),a4:null(string),a5:null(string),a6:null(string),a7:null(string),a8:null}
   {a1:null([int32]),a2:null([int32]),a3:null([int32]),a4:null([int32]),a5:null([int32]),a6:null([int32]),a7:null([int32]),a8:null}
-  {a1:0x,a2:0x,a3:0x,a4:0x,a5:0x,a6:0x,a7:0x,a8:null}
-  {a1:"",a2:"",a3:"",a4:"",a5:"",a6:"",a7:"",a8:null}
-  {a1:[]([int32]),a2:[]([int32]),a3:[]([int32]),a4:[]([int32]),a5:[]([int32]),a6:[]([int32]),a7:[]([int32]),a8:null}
-  {a1:0x1122,a2:0x112233,a3:0x00,a4:0x001122,a5:0x,a6:0x33,a7:0x22,a8:error("slice index is not a number")}
-  {a1:"12",a2:"123",a3:"0",a4:"012",a5:"",a6:"3",a7:"2",a8:error("slice index is not a number")}
-  {a1:"ⁱ⁲",a2:"ⁱ⁲3",a3:"0",a4:"0ⁱ⁲",a5:"",a6:"3",a7:"⁲",a8:error("slice index is not a number")}
-  {a1:"ⁱ⁲",a2:"ⁱ⁲⁳",a3:"⁰",a4:"⁰ⁱ⁲",a5:"",a6:"⁳",a7:"⁲",a8:error("slice index is not a number")}
-  {a1:[11(int32),12(int32)],a2:[11(int32),12(int32),13(int32)],a3:[10(int32)],a4:[10(int32),11(int32),12(int32)],a5:[]([int32]),a6:[13(int32)],a7:[12(int32)],a8:[10(int32),11(int32)]}
-  {a1:|[11(int32),12(int32)]|,a2:|[11(int32),12(int32),13(int32)]|,a3:|[10(int32)]|,a4:|[10(int32),11(int32),12(int32)]|,a5:|[]|(|[int32]|),a6:|[13(int32)]|,a7:|[12(int32)]|,a8:|[10(int32),11(int32)]|}
+  {a1:error("slice out of bounds"),a2:error("slice out of bounds"),a3:error("slice out of bounds"),a4:error("slice out of bounds"),a5:error("slice out of bounds"),a6:error("slice out of bounds"),a7:error("slice out of bounds"),a8:null}
+  {a1:error("slice out of bounds"),a2:error("slice out of bounds"),a3:error("slice out of bounds"),a4:error("slice out of bounds"),a5:error("slice out of bounds"),a6:error("slice out of bounds"),a7:error("slice out of bounds"),a8:null}
+  {a1:error("slice out of bounds"),a2:error("slice out of bounds"),a3:error("slice out of bounds"),a4:error("slice out of bounds"),a5:error("slice out of bounds"),a6:error("slice out of bounds"),a7:error("slice out of bounds"),a8:null}
+  {a1:0x1122,a2:0x112233,a3:0x00,a4:0x001122,a5:error("slice out of bounds"),a6:0x33,a7:0x22,a8:error("slice index is not a number")}
+  {a1:"12",a2:"123",a3:"0",a4:"012",a5:error("slice out of bounds"),a6:"3",a7:"2",a8:error("slice index is not a number")}
+  {a1:"ⁱ⁲",a2:"ⁱ⁲3",a3:"0",a4:"0ⁱ⁲",a5:error("slice out of bounds"),a6:"3",a7:"⁲",a8:error("slice index is not a number")}
+  {a1:"ⁱ⁲",a2:"ⁱ⁲⁳",a3:"⁰",a4:"⁰ⁱ⁲",a5:error("slice out of bounds"),a6:"⁳",a7:"⁲",a8:error("slice index is not a number")}
+  {a1:[11(int32),12(int32)],a2:[11(int32),12(int32),13(int32)],a3:[10(int32)],a4:[10(int32),11(int32),12(int32)],a5:error("slice out of bounds"),a6:[13(int32)],a7:[12(int32)],a8:[10(int32),11(int32)]}
+  {a1:|[11(int32),12(int32)]|,a2:|[11(int32),12(int32),13(int32)]|,a3:|[10(int32)]|,a4:|[10(int32),11(int32),12(int32)]|,a5:error("slice out of bounds"),a6:|[13(int32)]|,a7:|[12(int32)]|,a8:|[10(int32),11(int32)]|}
diff --git a/runtime/vam/expr/slice.go b/runtime/vam/expr/slice.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..af0ea1991f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/vam/expr/slice.go
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+package expr
+
+import (
+	"github.com/brimdata/super"
+	"github.com/brimdata/super/vector"
+)
+
+type sliceExpr struct {
+	zctx                            *super.Context
+	containerEval, fromEval, toEval Evaluator
+}
+
+func NewSliceExpr(zctx *super.Context, container, from, to Evaluator) Evaluator {
+	return &sliceExpr{
+		zctx:          zctx,
+		containerEval: container,
+		fromEval:      from,
+		toEval:        to,
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *sliceExpr) Eval(vec vector.Any) vector.Any {
+	vecs := []vector.Any{s.containerEval.Eval(vec)}
+	if s.fromEval != nil {
+		vecs = append(vecs, s.fromEval.Eval(vec))
+	}
+	if s.toEval != nil {
+		vecs = append(vecs, s.toEval.Eval(vec))
+	}
+	return vector.Apply(true, s.eval, vecs...)
+}
+
+func (s *sliceExpr) eval(vecs ...vector.Any) vector.Any {
+	container := vecs[0]
+	var from, to vector.Any
+	vecs = vecs[1:]
+	if s.fromEval != nil {
+		from = vecs[0]
+		if !super.IsSigned(from.Type().ID()) {
+			return vector.NewWrappedError(s.zctx, "slice: from value is not an integer", from)
+		}
+		vecs = vecs[1:]
+	}
+	if s.toEval != nil {
+		to = vecs[0]
+		if !super.IsSigned(to.Type().ID()) {
+			return vector.NewWrappedError(s.zctx, "slice: to value is not an integer", from)
+		}
+	}
+	switch vector.KindOf(container) {
+	case vector.KindArray, vector.KindSet:
+		return s.evalArrayOrSlice(container, from, to)
+	case vector.KindBytes, vector.KindString:
+		panic("slices on bytes and strings unsupported")
+	case vector.KindError:
+		return container
+	default:
+		return vector.NewWrappedError(s.zctx, "sliced value is not array, set, bytes, or string", container)
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *sliceExpr) evalArrayOrSlice(vec, fromVec, toVec vector.Any) vector.Any {
+	from, constFrom := sliceIsConstIndex(fromVec)
+	to, constTo := sliceIsConstIndex(toVec)
+	slowPath := !constFrom || !constTo
+	var index []uint32
+	if view, ok := vec.(*vector.View); ok {
+		vec, index = view.Any, view.Index
+	}
+	offsets, inner, nullsIn := arrayOrSetContents(vec)
+	newOffsets := []uint32{0}
+	var errs []uint32
+	var innerIndex []uint32
+	var nullsOut *vector.Bool
+	for i := range vec.Len() {
+		idx := i
+		if index != nil {
+			idx = index[i]
+		}
+		if nullsIn.Value(idx) {
+			newOffsets = append(newOffsets, newOffsets[len(newOffsets)-1])
+			if nullsOut == nil {
+				nullsOut = vector.NewBoolEmpty(vec.Len(), nil)
+			}
+			nullsOut.Set(i)
+			continue
+		}
+		off := offsets[idx]
+		size := int64(offsets[idx+1] - off)
+		start, end := int64(0), size
+		if fromVec != nil {
+			if slowPath {
+				from, _ = vector.IntValue(fromVec, idx)
+			}
+			start = sliceIndex(from, size)
+		}
+		if toVec != nil {
+			if slowPath {
+				to, _ = vector.IntValue(toVec, idx)
+			}
+			end = sliceIndex(to, size)
+		}
+		if start > end || end > size || start < 0 {
+			errs = append(errs, i)
+			continue
+		}
+		newOffsets = append(newOffsets, newOffsets[len(newOffsets)-1]+uint32(end-start))
+		for k := start; k < end; k++ {
+			innerIndex = append(innerIndex, off+uint32(k))
+		}
+
+	}
+	var out vector.Any
+	inner = vector.NewView(inner, innerIndex)
+	if vector.KindOf(vec) == vector.KindArray {
+		out = vector.NewArray(vec.Type().(*super.TypeArray), newOffsets, inner, nullsOut)
+	} else {
+		out = vector.NewSet(vec.Type().(*super.TypeSet), newOffsets, inner, nullsOut)
+	}
+	if nullsOut != nil {
+		nullsOut.SetLen(out.Len())
+	}
+	if len(errs) > 0 {
+		errOut := vector.NewStringError(s.zctx, "slice out of bounds", uint32(len(errs)))
+		return vector.Combine(out, errs, errOut)
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
+func sliceIsConstIndex(vec vector.Any) (int64, bool) {
+	if vec == nil {
+		return 0, true
+	}
+	if c, ok := vec.(*vector.Const); ok && c.Nulls == nil {
+		return c.Value().Int(), true
+	}
+	return 0, false
+}
+
+func sliceIndex(idx, size int64) int64 {
+	if idx < 0 {
+		idx += int64(size)
+	}
+	return idx
+}
+
+func arrayOrSetContents(vec vector.Any) ([]uint32, vector.Any, *vector.Bool) {
+	switch vec := vec.(type) {
+	case *vector.Array:
+		return vec.Offsets, vec.Values, vec.Nulls
+	case *vector.Set:
+		return vec.Offsets, vec.Values, vec.Nulls
+	default:
+		panic(vec)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/runtime/ztests/expr/slice-array.yaml b/runtime/ztests/expr/slice-array.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..051bb14012
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/ztests/expr/slice-array.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+zed: "yield c[start:end]"
+
+vector: true
+
+input: |
+  {start:1,end:-1,c:null([int64])}
+  {start:1,end:-1,c:[1,2,3,4]}
+  {start:-3,end:3,c:[5,7,8,9]}
+  {start:-5,end:3,c:[5,7,8,9]}
+  {start:0,end:5,c:[5,7,8,9]}
+  {start:4,end:3,c:[5,7,8,9]}
+
+output: |
+  null([int64])
+  [2,3]
+  [7,8]
+  error("slice out of bounds")
+  error("slice out of bounds")
+  error("slice out of bounds")
+  
diff --git a/runtime/ztests/expr/slice-set.yaml b/runtime/ztests/expr/slice-set.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..00eceb7643
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/ztests/expr/slice-set.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+zed: "yield c[start:end]"
+
+vector: true
+
+input: |
+  {start:1,end:-1,c:null(|[int64]|)}
+  {start:1,end:-1,c:|[1,2,3,4]|}
+  {start:-3,end:3,c:|[5,7,8,9]|}
+  {start:-5,end:3,c:|[5,7,8,9]|}
+  {start:0,end:5,c:|[5,7,8,9]|}
+  {start:4,end:3,c:|[5,7,8,9]|}
+
+output: |
+  null(|[int64]|)
+  |[2,3]|
+  |[7,8]|
+  error("slice out of bounds")
+  error("slice out of bounds")
+  error("slice out of bounds")
diff --git a/vector/kind.go b/vector/kind.go
index eae859fe4b..8a505068af 100644
--- a/vector/kind.go
+++ b/vector/kind.go
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ const (
 	KindIP      = 6
 	KindType    = 7
 	KindError   = 8
+	KindArray   = 9
+	KindSet     = 10
 )
 
 const (
@@ -32,6 +34,8 @@ const (
 
 func KindOf(v Any) Kind {
 	switch v := v.(type) {
+	case *Array:
+		return KindArray
 	case *Int:
 		return KindInt
 	case *Uint:
@@ -48,6 +52,8 @@ func KindOf(v Any) Kind {
 		return KindIP
 	case *TypeValue:
 		return KindType
+	case *Set:
+		return KindSet
 	case *Dict:
 		return KindOf(v.Any)
 	case *View: