@screwtape here's two links that are not papers and make things a bit easier to understand. I'm writing a guide of my own right now which should be like "tell me like I'm five"
https://github.com/HigherOrderCO/HVM/blob/master/guide/HOW.md
https://github.com/inpla/inpla/blob/main/Gentle_introduction_Inpla.md