Basic Information
We Live In A Fishbowl is definitely a speculative fiction trope and a horror trope.
We Live In A Fishbowl means that some sort of creature beyond our understanding watches us from beyond the limits of our reality. If we're lucky, we remain blissfully ignorant of them, and lead a happy life. If we're decidedly unlucky, like a goldfish in a bowl, we can stare back at the cat, but have nowhere to flee to. One day, the cat's hunger or curiosity may drive it to reach for us, and there's little we can do to avert that terrible fate. That curiosity sometimes kills the cat is of little comfort once you're already in it's jaws. Accordingly, the awareness of the cat's existence is enough to make you Go Mad From The Revelation. See Also: Eldritch Abomination, and Fourth-Dimensional Lifeform.
It's also possible the relationship between them and us is analogous to that between us and germs, or that they just haven't noticed us yet. See also: We Live In A Petri-Dish.
Sources
Game and Story Use
- A particularly nasty way to foreshadow the nastiness yet to come, and make the PCs feel powerless. Perfectly acceptable in a Cthulhu Mythos or Cosmic Horror game, but tread with caution in other genres.