Greg Bear 
Psychlone 

An evil spawned from the horrors of World War II wreaks havoc on a small New Mexico town in this novel from the “master of the grand-scale SF novel” (Booklist). Curiosity may kill Larry Fowler. A scientist from New Mexico, Fowler is hot on the trail of a mysterious phenomenon that is known to freeze animals instantly and can demolish an entire town. Part ghost story, part science fiction, part political treatise, Greg Bear's novel tracks Fowler on his journey to discover the true nature of the PSYCHLONE.