 Imperial Bedrooms is a novel by American author Bret Easton Ellis . Released on June 15 , 2010 , it is the sequel to Less Than Zero , Ellis ' 1985 bestselling literary debut , which was shortly followed by a film adaptation in 1987 . Imperial Bedrooms revisits Less Than Zero 's self @-@ destructive and disillusioned youths as they approach middle @-@ age in the present day . Like Ellis ' earlier novel , which took its name from Elvis Costello 's 1977 song of the same name , Imperial Bedrooms is named after Costello 's 1982 album . 
