Paulo Coelho’s acclaimed novel The Alchemist is set in an unspecified pre-modern time in Southern Spain and Northern Africa. The protagonist, Santiago, is an Andalusian shepherd who abandons the fields to pursue his “personal legend” in Egypt. Santiago’s story serves as an allegory about finding and following your dreams. Throughout the novel, the narrator repeats the refrain, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it,” This contention is nearly identical to Transcendentalist writer Ralph Waldo Emerson’s view, “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” Many concepts in Coelho’s novel overlap with Transcendental philosophy, particularly through its biblical metaphors. Although not nearly as complex as Frank Herbert’s writing, The Alchemist could be described as a Transcendental Dune with a dash of magical realism.